Re-envisioning criteria for documentation of plaster artist models in museum collections

Abstract

In the nineteenth century, plaster artist models were an intermediary step in the sculpting process. Since they feature complex methods of construction, a variety of materials, and were used in different ways, the classification and documentation of these objects in museum collections is often complicated. This paper proposes criteria to use in the study of plaster artist models, developed in the context of an ongoing research project about the Swiss sculptor Vincenzo Vela (1820-1891). The method presented here allows models to be considered within a suitable historical and technical context, reflecting their material and physical characteristics, as well as their role and importance in the sculpting process