Tablet thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Cast Courts, Room 46b, The Weston Cast Court

Tablet

16th century (sculpted), ca. 1891 (cast)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This plaster cast with a Latin inscription, supported by putti, records the building of Como Cathedral, and the completion of its façade. The calligraphy is deliberately reminiscent of Roman lettering, like that seen on Trajan's Column, a cast of which is also in the Museum's collection. The cast was made by Carlo Campi in Milan in about 1891.

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
Materials and techniques
Plaster cast
Brief description
Plaster cast of a stone tablet, from the rear wall of Como Cathedral, with an inscription recording the building of the Cathedral, and the completion of the facade, by an unidentified Lombard sculptor, 16th century, cast by Carlo Campi, Milan, ca. 1891
Dimensions
  • Height: 87cm
  • Width: 122cm
Object history
Purchased from Carlo Campi in 1891 for 7s (30 lire).
Historical context
The inscription records the building of the Cathedral, and the completion of the facade.
Subject depicted
Summary
This plaster cast with a Latin inscription, supported by putti, records the building of Como Cathedral, and the completion of its façade. The calligraphy is deliberately reminiscent of Roman lettering, like that seen on Trajan's Column, a cast of which is also in the Museum's collection. The cast was made by Carlo Campi in Milan in about 1891.

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.1891-128

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Record createdOctober 5, 2006
Record URL
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