Bust of a child
Bust
1470–1500 (sculpted), ca. 1888 (cast)
1470–1500 (sculpted), ca. 1888 (cast)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This bust perhaps represents the young St John the Baptist, and may once have had a pendant figure of the youthful Christ. The della Robbia family were renowned for their work in glazed terracotta, and their sculptures of children were especially admired in Victorian England.
Plaster casts were especially sought after during the 19th century, when reproductions of great works of sculpture and architecture were thought crucial for the training of artists. A separating substance was applied to the surface of the work to be reproduced, and a plaster mould made from that. The mould would then be used to make any number of additional plaster copies. These were often sold to artists, and later in the century to art colleges for study purposes.
Plaster casts were especially sought after during the 19th century, when reproductions of great works of sculpture and architecture were thought crucial for the training of artists. A separating substance was applied to the surface of the work to be reproduced, and a plaster mould made from that. The mould would then be used to make any number of additional plaster copies. These were often sold to artists, and later in the century to art colleges for study purposes.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Bust of a child (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Plaster cast painted |
| Brief description | Plaster cast, painted plaster, of a bust of a child after an original glazed terracotta bust (now in the Musée National de la Renaissance, Château d’Écouen, France), by Andrea della Robbia, Italy (Florence), ca. 1470–1500, cast made by jean Pouzadoux, France (Paris), ca. 1888 |
| Physical description | Plaster cast bust of a child. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Gallery label | The original busts by Andrea della Robbia might have been designed as a pair. This boy may represent the young St John the Baptist, while the child to the far left may be the youthful Christ. The casts do not reproduce the colours of the glazed terracotta originals, but the tender depictions of children would nonetheless have appealed to 19th-century taste.(2014) |
| Object history | Purchased from Jean Pouzadoux in 1888 for 6s 6d (8 francs). |
| Historical context | This bust may represent the young St John the Baptist and may once have had a pendant figure of the youthful Christ similar to the companion figure (museum no. 1867-182). |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This bust perhaps represents the young St John the Baptist, and may once have had a pendant figure of the youthful Christ. The della Robbia family were renowned for their work in glazed terracotta, and their sculptures of children were especially admired in Victorian England. Plaster casts were especially sought after during the 19th century, when reproductions of great works of sculpture and architecture were thought crucial for the training of artists. A separating substance was applied to the surface of the work to be reproduced, and a plaster mould made from that. The mould would then be used to make any number of additional plaster copies. These were often sold to artists, and later in the century to art colleges for study purposes. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | REPRO.1888-509 |
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| Record created | December 7, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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