V&A Reveals Renovated Cast Courts

THE V&A has reopened the Cast Courts following their second and final stage of redevelopment and restoration.

The Cast Courts feature copies of many of the world’s greatest and most fascinating pieces of sculpture and architecture, constructed from moulds, casts and even 3D printings.

The Courts were first opened in 1873, when the Director of what was then the South Kensington Museum, Henry Cole, decided that casts were the perfect way to introduce the greatest pieces of European art to the working people of the Victorian era. Knowing that most of these people would never get the opportunity to see the works in their original forms and location, Cole wanted visitors to nonetheless experience, through copies of the monuments, sculptures and architectural details, the wonder that the pieces evoked .

A conservator works on restoring Trajan’s Column

As a collection, the Cast Courts are unique. Collecting plaster casts of famous pieces of sculpture and architecture was very popular in the mid to late nineteenth century, explained V&A Director, Tristram Hunt. However, the art form fell out of fashion in the mid-20th century and, as a result, many of the world’s collections were dispersed or destroyed.

Refusing to bow to the whims of fashion, the V&A kept its collection, which is now unrivalled in its size and range. The collection represents a valuable record of the original sculptures, many of which have deteriorated or being destroyed since the casts were taken.

Highlights of the exhibition include a copy of Trajan’s Column, a second century Roman Triumphal column celebrating the victory of Emperor Trajan in the Dacian Wars. This structure, which has been split into two to allow the room to accommodate it, nevertheless towers over the Court, becoming only the more impressive as you get close enough to view its intricate depictions of Trajan’s military campaigns.

The V&A has chosen to open up the base of the column, allowing visitors to see for the first time the evidence of how this copy was constructed. During renovation, conservators also discovered the signatures of the original creators and curators carved into the top of the column. These small examples of the way that the copy differs from the original accentuates its own unique purpose; unlike the original, its creation came about through a desire to share great art with a greater portion of the world, and this grants it the claim to a work of art in its own right. As with much of modern art, the message is as important as the medium itself.

Trajan’s Column looms over the Portico de la Gloria

A full scale copy of Michelangelo’s 16th century David also stands out, although harder to spot is the fig leaf that Queen Victoria commanded be sculpted to be strategically placed to cover David’s modesty when visiting dignitaries made the tour.

Looking at the pieces on display, from the 13th century royal tomb effigies to the 12th century Portico de la Gloria, it is difficult to believe that you are not looking at the original, and it is easy to imagine how Victorian visitors would have been awed.

However, some were unhappy with the news that they were not encountering the original. “People were amazed but always a bit disappointed to learn that they were looking at a copy,” said Angus Patterson, Senior Curator of Metalwork.

Different versions of Adriean de Vries’ Seated Girl in new gallery illustrate
the process of creating sculpture casts

A new addition to the Cast Courts, therefore, looks to show how the casts are an art form in themselves, their worth lying beyond mere imitation. The new exhibition in the central gallery explores the history, processes and significance of casts and copies by looking at the way that 3D printing, as well as more traditional methods such as plaster casting, can be used to recreate sculptures.

One tiny exhibit in the new gallery perfectly illustrates the importance of creating copies. The Arch of Triumph stood in the Ancient City of Palmyra until the archaeological site was destroyed by ISIS in 2015. Using hundreds of photos taken before the arch was damaged, a digital rendering was created. In 2016, a 30-per-cent-scale reproduction of the arch was unveiled in Trafalgar Square, and now its much smaller brother is exhibited in the V&A.

The renovated Cast Courts show how copies can be used to celebrate and commemorate art and history, providing education and experience for those who will never see the originals. However, the renovation has also shown how  copies bear the marks of their own creation, revealing them to be unique pieces of art in their own right, and well worthy of the attention they receive in the Cast Courts.

by Hannah Valentine

The V&A Cast Courts open to the public on December 1.