Marcinkowski, Wojciech [Hrsg.]; Zaucha, Tomasz [Hrsg.]; Museum Narodowe w Krakowie [Hrsg.]: Plaster casts of the works of art: history of collections, conservation, exhibition practice ; materials from the conference in the National Museum in Krakow, May 25, 2010 (Krakau, 2010)

Plaster Casts of the Works of Art

casts from St Mary's Church in Krakow - corbels of the crowning cornice and plant
frieze at chancel windows height - positioned between the sixteenth-century painting
Christ in the Garden and also the sixteenth-century stone Transfiguration from Nowe
Miasto near Dobromil. Special place in the Cloth Hall gallery was enjoyed by two
gifts. The first one, donated by Parish Committee of St Mary's Church, included
casts of original architectural details and models for details re-carved during resto-
ration works completed by Tadeusz Stryjeriski and Zygmunt Hendel in 1887 -1891
Fig. 2. St Margaret and 1900 -1904.3 In 1906 and 1907, the Museum received another immense collection
on dragons back. Qf plaster casts and models, these having been produced for the restoration of the Kra-

v. no. mnk i-g-19. Cathedral by Sławomir Odrzywolski and Zygmunt Hendel from 1891 on.4 Casts

Plaster cast of the 11. iri 11 i r -1

, , , taken during renovation works from the original architectural fragments served

keystone or the 0 00

vestry of Krakow primarily the purpose of documenting the condition of stone sculpture. In some
cathedral. State before instances the casts were taken of these specific details that were out of sight under
regular circumstances. This was the case of the set of five casts from the southern
side of the tomb of King Ladislaus the Short, which is next to the wall that filled

right hand holding . . . _ . .

t, .r i j j up the once open arch between the ambulatory and the choir.' Sometimes the

the crucifix were added r r '

Photo by Paweł casts were a preparatory stage in a restoration process. If this was the case two casts

Czernicki were usually made of the same detail. One of them was then retouched by a skilled

sculptor in order to create a model for further conservation process carried on by

Fig. 3. St Margaret masons. In certain cases ruptured stone originals were supplemented with new,

, ^ . reconstructed details shaped after a plaster model. As an example may serve two
Inv. no. mnk i-g-18. r r r /

Plaster cast versions of the keystone with St Margaret from the sacristy of the cathedral church

of the keystone of the - the plaster cast and plaster model (fig. 2 and 3)." Nevertheless the standard procedure

vestry of Krakow was j-G completely replace the damaged originals with ameliorated "copies" made

cathedral. Model _ agajn _ aft-er pjaster models. As the photographic documentation of the restoration

for reconstruction 1 ' 1 r ri 1 1 r i 1 i

ri process is scarce and often flawed, the casts are often the only preserved witnesses

otlosses r ' r

Photo by Pawel °f the lost originals. An example of such are canopies from outside the elevation
Czernicki of the cathedral Trinity chapel (plaster cast - fig. 4; plaster model - fig. 5).7

the ornamental
leaves and the saint's

96