Marcinkowski, Wojciech [Editor]; Zaucha, Tomasz [Editor]; Museum Narodowe w Krakowie [Editor]: 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

The state of preservation before treatment and causes of damage

Damage occurred mainly due to bad storage conditions and inappropriate protec-
tion and handling. Over the years, objects became heavily soiled, covered with
a thick layer of dirt and dust (fig. 1, 2). The Museum's cellars, where the objects were
stored, and the objects themselves had been flooded several times and exposed to
high relative humidity levels and long-term water activity which caused migration
of soiling material into the porous structure of plaster.

Due to the fragility of the plaster itself and improper handling, especially during
a number of dislocations, some of the objects were broken into fragments or heavily
cracked, kept in one piece only by inner reinforcements (fig. 3, 4).
In consequence, serious losses occurred and sometimes big fragments of sculptures
were lost (fig. 5).

Fig. 2. St Florians
basilica in Kleparz.
Three male busts.
Inv. no. mnk l-g-159/1.
Half-figure above
the wings, retable
in the Brethren's chapel
(of St Ann). State
of preservation during
conservation.
Visible gilded and
polychromed surface
partially cleaned.
Photo by Michał
Obarzanowski

Fig. 3. Parish church
of the Elevation of the
Holy Cross in Zwoleń.
Bust of Jan Kochanowski.
Inv. no. mnk 1-g-320.
State of preservation
before and after con-
servation. Photo by
Michał Obarzanowski

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