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Ceiling Part

19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This plaster cast is from a portion of the stalactite ceiling of the Alhambra, at Granada, Spain.
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
Brief description
Cast, plaster, from a portion of the stalactite ceiling of the Alhambra, at Granada, Spain, England
Physical description
From a portion of the stalactite ceiling of the Alhambra, at Granada, Spain
Dimensions
  • Length: 18in
  • Width: 16in
  • Width: 49cm
  • Height: 42cm
  • Depth: 20cm
Metric measurements taken by Mariam Rosser-Owen on 18 February 2010
Object history
Used by Owen Jones (1809-1874) to recreate the ceiling of the Sala de Abencerrajes at the Alhambra, in the Alhambra Court at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham (opened 1854)
Summary
This plaster cast is from a portion of the stalactite ceiling of the Alhambra, at Granada, Spain.
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.

Bibliographic reference
List of Objects in the Art Division, South Kensington Museum acquired during the Year 1880. London, 1881, p. 26
Collection
Accession number
325-1880

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Record createdJuly 14, 2008
Record URL
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