Reg.Nr. HA-2005/SP/05

The 17th-18th century Plaster Cast Collection of the Real Academia de S. Fernando, Madrid

Over 4 years the Royal Academy of Arts in Madrid has conducted a vast project to clean and restore one of the oldest collections of plaster sculptures in Europe. A significant part of this collection is made up of casts bought for Philip IV by Diego Velazquez during his second ...
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Project details

Title:The 17th-18th century Plaster Cast Collection of the Real Academia de S. Fernando, Madrid
Entr. year: 2005
Result:Medal
Country: Spain
Town: Madrid
Category type: works of art and collections
Notes:Plaster sculptures
Building type/ Project type: See notes
Built: 17th-18th century
The Jury's citation: For the skilful restoration of a rare and fragile ensemble that documents the artistic reference of the period and for the valuable knowledge gained which can be applied to similar collections throughout Europe.
GPS:40°25'47"N; 3°42'3"W

Description:
Over 4 years the Royal Academy of Arts in Madrid has conducted a vast project to clean and restore one of the oldest collections of plaster sculptures in Europe. A significant part of this collection is made up of casts bought for Philip IV by Diego Velazquez during his second journey in Italy in 1649-50. A second group is constituted by copies of discoveries in Pompei and Herculaneum made for Carlos III in 1765. A third group belonged to the painter A. R. Mengs. The experience led to the development of new techniques, namely the reinforcement of polimeres. Extensive analysis of the internal structure of the plasters through a set of 150 gammagraphies. Excellent documentation on the process. The collection is now displayed in new wing of the museum.