This piece is a Roman copy of a Greek statue by Myron from about 450 B.C. In the original the head is turned toward the hand which holds the disk (cf. No. 561). The Roman version was found in Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli and is now in the British Museum.

This is a full-scale 19th Century plaster cast from a Roman copy of the Greek bronze original by Polykleitos. Diadoumenos is a youth binding his head with a fillet, which was a sign of victory in the games. The curved upper body and poised feet imbue the youth’s form with vitality and movement. Found at Vaison, France, the original is now in the British Museum.

This is a cast of the Crouching Aphrodite (Venus de Vienne). It is a 19th Century plaster cast of a Roman copy of a statue by Daidalos of Bithynia, of the third century B.C. Aphrodite’s nude physique and voluptuous figure characterize her as the Greek goddess of love. First at Vienne, France, the original is presently at the Louvre Museum. On the rear of the pedestal is a brass impression with the name of the Louvre casting atelier and the number that identified it in the catalogue used to order plaster casts from the atelier: 834.

According to Greek mythology, Ariadne was a princess of the kingdom of Crete. Ariadne fell in love with Theseus and helped him kill the Minotaur and escape the deadly labyrinth. Theseus was supposed to marry Ariadne and return with her to Athens, however, mid-voyage he abandoned her while she slept on the island of Naxos. The cast is copied from a statue, now housed in the Vatican, which is a Roman copy of a 2nd century B.C.E. piece from the Greek School of Pergamon produced during the Hellenistic period. As with many other Roman marbles inspired by Greek bronzes, there are several versions of the Sleeping Ariadne known. Where this half of the plaster cast once fit into the lower half is visible in the proper right lower portion of the figure. In the early 20th century, this cast was displayed at The Metropolitan Museum next to another version of the Sleeping Ariadne, which is now in the Prado Museum (Madrid, Spain). This demonstrates the period’s curatorial interest in teaching visitors to examine and analyze the differences between multiple iterations of a model in order to understand the lost Greek original, a practice known in German as Kopienkritik. The entire surface of this cast has been painted white. This cast was purchased in 1892 by The Metropolitan Museum of Art from the Musée du Louvre Casting Atelier.

The original from which this cast was made is a bronze equestrian monument to Erasmo da Narni, known as Gattamelata, which stands in the Piazza del Santo (Padua, Italy). The bronze is by Donatello, dated 1445-1453. The Gattamelata was the earliest Renaissance monument to reintroduce the equestrian statue type from antiquity. In the early 20th century, The Metropolitan Museum of Art displayed a complete reproduction of this monument alongside another famous equestrian, Andrea Verrocchio’s Colleoni. In addition to the missing the body of the horse as well as its rider, the Gattamelata plaster cast also no longer has the horse’s reigns, though that the mouth once held a bit is apparent. The cast was purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for their collection in 1892 from the Roman castmaker Michele Gherardi, with the assistance of the art dealer Caroline Vedder.

The original from which this cast was made is a Roman marble of the 2nd century A.D., which was based on a Greek model of the 5th-4th centuries B.C. Today the Roman marble is in the Palazzo Altemps (Rome, Italy).

This cast is of a base with lion’s feet from from the Monument of Cardinal Jacopo of Portugal in the Chapel of San Giocomo in the Church of San Miniato al Monte in Florence.

The cast of the pilaster capital comes from the Church of Westerkerk in Ekhuisen, Holland designed by Jan Terwn Aertsz. This very simple detail is painted to resemble wood.

This fragment was once the top tier of a plaster cast of a candelabrum. From historical photos the base appears to have been ornamented with ram's heads and reliefs of mythological figures. The original from which this plaster cast was made has not yet been identified, but it was likely of marble and made during the Roman period.

This plaster cast is a piece of a decorative band of a larger unknown structure. The deeply carved floral motifs create visual interest through the interplay of light and shadow. The overlapping of the figural forms contributes to the viewer’s sense of depth as well as transforms what was once originally static, cold, lifeless marble into a dynamic scene of fecundity and growth.  The marble façade of St. Gilles du Gard from which these casts were made dates to the 12th or 13th centuries. The church is an important pilgrimage site on the path to Santiago de Compostela. The façade sculpture and ornament, in French Romanesque style, combines Roman and early Christian influences. This frieze was above the apostle sculptures below.

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore was built over hundreds of years under the vision of multiple architects. The design began in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio, and then later continued under Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, and the artists who completed masterpieces for the Basilica’s interior. By the 15th Century, the structure was still without its dome. The design for the dome (first drawn by Cambio) returned to a classical model, like the Roman Pantheon. The original facade of the cathedral as designed by Cambio, also attributed to Giotto, was only completed in its lower half. Later, in 1587, the facade was dismantled by the Medici court and left bare till around 1864 with a competition won by Emilio de Fabris. The facade took on a Neo-Gothic style – white, red, and green marble creating an elegant picture. Three tall bronze doors provide entrances at the main portal beneath lunettes and a row of niches with all twelve apostles. The cast is a detail from the second doorway on the north called the Porta della Mondorla in the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, also known as the Duomo. The Porta della Mondorla was designed by Niccolo d’ Arezzo c. 1408. The cast shows a small relief depicting women, children, and wildlife in a floral surrounding.

This plaster cast of an ornamented bracket is related to several other examples formerly owned by the 19th-century plaster caster Oronzio Lelli who worked in Florence. The original is therefore likely Italian and dated to the 15th or 16th centuries.

These plaster casts reproduce the panels depicting the story of Jacob and Esau, one of ten Old Testament scenes depicted on the baptistery doors. The frames around these panels, which are visible in the cast, contain Old Testament figures and vegetal ornament. The original doors from which these plaster casts were made are gilt bronze, executed between 1425-1452, by Lorenzo Ghiberti and a team of other Florentine artists. The design for the doors has long been recognized as an important illustration of Renaissance artistic interests, such as the use of linear perspective and contrapposto, as well as the interpretation of forms from ancient Roman architecture and art. Each panel contains within it multiple episodes of an extended Biblical narrative. Within the Jacob in Esau panel, for instance, are eight different scenes from the story. The architecture, composed in linear perspective, serves a central role within the pictorial space in delineating the distinct settings which allows the complex narrative to unfold clearly. The ICAA’s plaster casts have been painted to recreate the appearance of gilt bronze, a technique where a thin layer of gold is applied to a bronze surface. The plaster cast’s gilt bronze surface was added during a restoration project in the early 2000s. The ICAA owns 5 panels of the doors, which were once displayed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art as a complete recreation of the doors (see photo).

This cast replicates the Entablature from the Porch of the Maidens of the Erechtheion. The Erechtheion was constructed from 421 to 406 BC on the Acropolis of Athens. As one of the most decorative temples in Greek Architecture, it was built to replace the Temple of Athena, Nike. The name of the temple comes from its dedication to the Greek hero Ericthonius, or perhaps King Erectheus. On major feature of the Erechtheion is the porch of caryatids, often called the “Porch of the Maidens,” where six female figures are sculpted as supporting columns. The temple has two porches - a porch with caryatids and a porch with ionic columns.

Erechtheion corner detail

This cast is of a decorative relief panel inscribed with date (1572) from the Choir Screen in the Church Westerkerk. The panel shows various forms of flora and cherubs encircling the profile image of a woman within a wreath. It was made by Jan Terwen Aertsz (1511-1589), who carved the Choir Screen at Westerkerk. The cast was made by craftsman F. Stoltzenberg of Roermond, Holland in 1895 and was then purchased by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The original pulpit from which these plaster casts were made is by Benedetto da Maiano, completed around 1475. The pulpit is in carved marble with gilding. The pulpit was comprised of five scenes depicting the life of St. Francis of Assisi. The ICAA owns three of the five panels as well as the niche with the figure of Charity. In the reliefs, Maiano crafts his scenes within an architectural environment composed in a refined linear perspective that creates great depth. Though the process by which the plaster casts were made has certainly dulled the impact of Maiano’s masterful low relief carving, the cast maker Oronzio Lelli finely finished his plaster to emphasize the subtly of the original marble, as is especially apparent in the delicacy of the wings of the ornamental putto below the main relief. The stone-like color of the relief of St. Francis receiving the stigmata is the original surface, which has discolored with time.

This plaster cast was made from a marble bracket that was part of the Monument of Bishop Leonardo Salutati in the Cathedral of Fiesole, Italy. The original was designed by Mino da Fiesole (1429-1484) circa 1466. An entire reproduction of the monument was displayed at the Metropolitan Museum in the early 20th century. The plaster cast was made in 1892 by plaster craftsman Oronzio Lelli for The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.

This cast replicates a coffer from the Erechtheion. Coffers, sunken panels usually seen in a series, were used for the decoration of ceilings and vaults. The earliest examples are stone coffers from ancient Greece and Rome. The Erechtheion was constructed from 421 to 406 BC on the Acropolis of Athens. As one of the most decorative temples in Greek Architecture, it was built to replace the Temple of Athena, Nike. The name of the temple comes from its dedication to the Greek hero Ericthonius, or perhaps King Erectheus. On major feature of the Erechtheion is the porch of caryatids, often called the “Porch of the Maidens,” where six female figures are sculpted as supporting columns. The temple has two porches - a porch with caryatids and a porch with ionic columns.

This cast replicates a relief of the Madonna and Child with a cherub’s head. The original was completed by Donatello c. 1450 and placed over the side door of the Siena cathedral. The Cathedral holds works from both Donatello and the young Michelangelo. The tondo relief holds a great sense of sadness, drama, and intimacy – characteristic of Donatello’s representations of the sacred subject.

The original carved marble from which this plaster cast was made is attributed to Simone Mosca (1492-1553). The original was made between 1521-1534. When this plaster cast was purchased for The Metropolitan Museum from the École des Beaux Arts Casting Atelier in 1891 it was catalogued with other works by Michelangelo, who famously designed the New Sacristy of San Lorenzo Church (Florence, Italy). Scholars today believe the candelabrum is by Simone Mosca, who worked with Michelangelo in the New Sacristy in the 1520s and 1530s. The design of the candelabrum is “all’antica”, a Renaissance style which adapted. ancient Roman motifs to Renaissance taste.

This plaster cast was made from a pilaster capital ornamented with fleurs-de-lis and a putto wearing a medallion of St. George slaying the dragon, a reference to the Noble Brotherhood of St. George of Rougemont. The Galerie du Bord l'Eau, or the Grande Galerie Orientale, which the pilaster is part of, was built during the reign of Henri VI to connect the Louvre and the Tuilieres palaces. The building was designed by Jacques Androut du Cerceau (1550-1614) between 1607 -1610. The cast was acquired for The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection from the Parisian maker L. Mathivet.

This 1892 plaster cast was made from a bronze original, dated to the late 15th century. The original object was a multi-functional decorative item that was both a door knocker and a holder for a standard, or type of flag displaying the family's crest. The plaster version on display here is missing the circular knocker that once hung from the claw-like hand at the bottom. The original object was once attached to the Palazzo del Magnifico, also known as the Palazzo Petrucci, in Siena, Italy. Pandolfo Petrucci, the building's patron, effectively ruled Siena from 1487 to 1512. The palace was designed by the architect Giacomo Cozzarelli (1453-1515) and built by Domenico di Bartolomeo in 1508. The cast was purchased for The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection from Jean Pouzadouz of the Trocadéro Casting Atelier in Paris.

The Erechtheion was constructed from 421 to 406 BC on the Acropolis of Athens. As one of the most decorative temples in Greek Architecture, it was built to replace the Temple of Athena, Nike. The name of the temple comes from its dedication to the Greek hero Ericthonius, or perhaps King Erectheus. On major feature of the Erechtheion is the porch of caryatids, often called the “Porch of the Maidens,” where six female figures are sculpted as supporting columns. The temple has two porches - a porch with caryatids and a porch with ionic columns. This cast replicates a base from the columns of the Erechtheion.

This plaster cast was made from an architectural fragment in marble discovered at the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. While we often think of plaster casts as mechanical reproductions, on the nose of the lion is an inscription in pencil that reveals the hand of its maker. It reads: "Berlin October 21, 1895." This cast was purchased by The Metropolitan Museum of Art from Formerei der königliche Museen (Berlin) in 1895.

Plaster cast of the gilt bronze Noah panel of the Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti (1425 – 1452). The bronze panel is currently on display at the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (Museum of the Works of the Cathedral) in Florence, Italy. According to the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Torah, God spares Noah and his family from an enormous flood intended to destroy the wicked. In the background of the scene, Noah and his family emerge from the safety of their ark—in this case one that resembles a pyramid, as described by the early Christian theologian Origen—and they embrace under the newly sunny sky. In the foreground, Noah’s son Ham orders his brothers to clothe a semi-nude Noah, inebriated from having indulged too heavily in celebratory wine.

Plaster cast of an original marble found in Naxos, Greece. The marble relief is dated to the 1st century A.D. and is now in the British Museum. The cast was made by The British Museum Casting Service and was purchased by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The relief panel from the pulpit of St. Croce in Florence depicts St. Francis undergoing an Ordeal by Fire before the Sultan. The original in marble with gilding from which this cast was made is by Benedetto da Maiano. The original relief is one of five in marble which comprised a pulpit in the Santa Croce Church (Florence) illustrating the Life of St. Francis. It was completed c. 1475. The ICAA owns casts of three of the five panels, including the present cast and South Wall no. 18 in this gallery. According to the 1908 catalogue of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s cast collection, the pulpit was displayed with all five panels attached, reconstructing the form of the original pulpit. The panel was made by plaster craftsman Oronzio Lelli for The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The marble from which this cast was made was carved in the 2nd century A.D. by a Roman sculptor. The marble was based on the lost Greek bronze statue of Hera by Polykleitos, made circa 420 B.C., which was displayed at the Temple of Hera outside of Argos. The version of Hera reproduced in this plaster cast is related to the that known as the “Farnese” Hera, which was once owned by the Farnese family, who amassed one of the richest Renaissance collections of antiquities. This cast was part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, catalog number 592. It was likely purchased from Ceasare Malpieri in Rome as the Farnese Juno in 1892.

This panel is one of the ten relief panels created by Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455) for the doors of the Florence Baptistry. This panel depicts the Old Testament scene of the sacrifice of Isaac, with the figures of Isaac and Abraham repeating throughout the scene.

This plaster cast was made from a tomb carved in polychrome marble located in Cathedral of Saint Pierre et Saint Paul in Nantes, France. Made by Michel Colombe (1425-1515) and Jean Perréal (1445-1540), the cast is of one end of the rectangular tomb, atop which rest marble figures of the deceased Francois and Marguerite in repose. This portion of the cast includes the figure of St. Louis of France in the upper arch and in the medallion below is a mourning monk. In the original marble tomb the arch in which St. Louis stands is carved in pink marble while the mourner is in black marble. This polychromy was not reproduced in the plaster cast, which has become discolored with age. Colombe’s work, and this tomb in particular, has been recognized by art historians as heralding the arrival of the Renaissance in the North. The plaster cast was made by the Palais du Trocadéro casting atelier in Paris, from whom it was purchased by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This cast replicates a rinceau panel (a decorative border with vines, leaves, and fruits) from St. Gilles du Gard. During the 7th century, Saint-Gilles du Gard was founded as a Benedictine monastery under Saint Gilles – a hermit priest. The Abbey became a major resting point for pilgrims and crusaders on route to the Holy Land. The Romanesque portal was built during the 12th century. It is a continuously admired aspect of the Medieval site. The portal illustrates scenes from the story of Christ as a dedication to Saint Gilles. The portal is a great example of the Romanesque in Provincial France. The cast was originally part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval collection.

This piece is a detailed column cast from architectural details in the Church of the Santa Trinita in Florence, Italy made in 1552 by Benedetto da Rovezzano (1474-1552). The church itself was build during the 13th century, butt its Baroque facade was added during the 16th century. It is known for the Sassetti chapel designed by Domenico Ghirlandaio in 1486. The cast column is embellished with floral designs and both human and animal faces which flanked the altarpiece of the church. The cast was made by craftsman Oronzio Lelli for The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.

This plaster cast from the Basilica of Santa Croce is of the architectural elements that frame the central scene of the Cavalcanti Annunciation, made by Donatello around 1435 after a trip to Rome. The original is carved in pietra serena, a gray sandstone commonly used in the architectural details in Florence, Italy, and is highlighted with gilding. In the central panel, which is not represented in this cast, the Virgin was placed into a classical setting. This style continues in the framing elements, which the cast clearly demonstrates. The patination of this cast tries to imitate the visual qualities of pietra serena. The cast was purchased for The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection from Italian craftsman Giuseppe Lelli.

This cast is a column capital from Tuileres Palace in Paris. On the left side is a metal impression with "L. Mathivet Mouler Paris, Union Centrale des Arts Decoratifs". Impressed in the plaster is the number 266. The cast was purchased for The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection from the Parisian maker L. Mathivet.

The original marble is in the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

This plaster cast was made from a slab of the parapet surrounding the Temple of Athena on the Acropolis in Athens. It depicts the goddess of Victory, Nike, untying her sandal, preparing herself to walk on the sacred ground of the Temple. The original relief, carved in marble, is dated circa 410 - 405 BCE. The original sculpture was constructed from white pentelic marble. The Temble of Athena Nike is a terastyle, or four column Ionic temple. The columns are noted as particularly slender and elegant, as the columns are constructed in a 7:1 ratio, instead of the typical 9:1 or 10:1 ratios typically seen in ionic temples. It has a colonnaded portico at the front and rear facades that was designed by the architect Kallikrates. It was built on top of the remains of an earlier 6th century temple to Athena which had been destroyed by the Persians in 480 BCE. The goddess is depicted in the "wet drapery" style, a method in classical sculpture where the clothing of the figure clings to the body to emphasize its form, and is characteristic both of Classical and Hellenistic sculpture but also of depictions of Athena Nike (particularly seen in the Musée Louvre's Nike of Samothrace).

The original marble is in the British Museum.

This cast is part of a larger block from the east frieze that depicts four standing male figures and four olympian gods seated on stools. The standing figures do not appear to be part of the procession, but arrive as mediators between the gods and mortals. The four gods, noted for their larger scale, are described in relaxed positions. First is Hermes beside Dionysus, the goddess Demeter, and lastly Ares – who is recognized by his momentary posture as he leans back holding his knee with both arms. Beside his foot that points to the floor there would have been a painted spear.

This plaster cast was made from a bronze sculpture of Hypnos, which was discovered near Perugia, Italy in 1868. When it was discovered, the bronze was thought to be Greek, but it is now understood to be a Roman version based on a Greek design. The Roman bronze is now in the British Museum. Hypnos is of the male god of sleep. Where the metal armature protruding from the proper right side of the cast is now, there was once a wing, one of Hypnos’ attributes. The color of the cast has degraded and faded, but once must have suggested a copper-rich bronze surface. Other 19th century-plaster casts of this work are owned by the Slater Museum in Norwich, Connecticut and Museum of Classical Archeology at Cambridge University (U.K.) All three of the plaster casts have the same circular base, which was provided by the caster Domenico Brucciani. The cast was purchased by The Metropolitan Museum of Art from Brucciani.

The original from which this cast was made is a bronze full-length sculpture of a nude boxer from the Hellenistic period. The original is one of the finest examples of bronze casting to survive from the ancient world. The bronze was discovered in 1885 on the south slope of the Quirinal Hill in Rome. It is now part of the Museo Nazionale Romano- Massimo alle Terme. This plaster cast has been given a faux-bronze patina. The cast was purchased by The Metropolitan Museum of Art from the Roman castmaker Michele Gherardi through Caroline Rosenkranz Vedder in 1892.