Welcome to the Plaster Cast Collection
The Fairfield University Plaster Cast Collection is a growing collection of plaster casts representing works of art from the Classical world through the Renaissance, with an emphasis on ancient Greece and the Parthenon. A majority of the casts have been lent to the University on a long-term loan basis or gifted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Additional gifts have been made by individuals.
The collection is primarily stored in Loyola 13 and 14, and can by seen by appointment only. For an appointment to see the casts, please contact Dr. Katherine Schwab, Curator, at kaschwab@fairfield.edu or (203) 254-4000, ext. 2439. Three Renaissance casts are located in Canisius 300 and can be seen Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30 during regular business hours. Approximately 50% of the cast collection will be installed in or near the future Bellarmine Museum, making this valuable resource readily available during public viewing hours.
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Introduction
A generous gift of 19 plaster casts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2004 has given Fairfield a new and welcome opportunity to assemble a group of talented and motivated students to create a brochure, design a website, and prepare the casts for exhibition on campus. These 12 students have been remarkable for their many specialized skills and their willingness and determination to see this project through to its completion.
The casts in this gift are mostly representative of sculpture from the Parthenon, including examples from the frieze, metopes, and pedimental figures. Additional casts of well known sculptures from the periods preceding and following the Parthenon and High Classical period provide a visual continuity. Such a resource for students at Fairfield is truly exceptional, and our goal is to ensure that these casts are cleaned and restored for regular public viewing.
We have also received two plaster casts from Yale University and one from a private donor. Altogether, 22 casts have been given to Fairfield, in addition to 37 casts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which came to us on a long-term renewable loan basis starting in 1991.
Students began their journey to learn about the origin of plaster cast collections starting with Francis I of France in the 16th century. Subsequent interest and demand grew beyond royal collections to museums and universities throughout Europe.
U.S. cast collections began in the 19th century, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art's distinguished collection representing the most famous or important works from Antiquity through the Renaissance. Initially desired for educational purposes, plaster casts fell out of favor both in Europe and the U.S. in the first half of the 20th century.
Since the 1970s, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has successfully lent much of their collection to universities in the U.S., including Fairfield University, and abroad. This gift of casts both deepens our collection and offers many new opportunities for teaching and research.
The gift is timely for the popularity of casts is growing again in the international arena, and our collection at Fairfield is the subject of inquiry by colleagues and specialists elsewhere in the U.S. and in Europe.
The students' journey also took them to visit other cast collections, such as the Slater Museum in Norwich, Conn., and the Institute for Classical Architecture and Classical America in New York City. Terese Robb, a sculptor/restorer, worked with the students in the cast rooms, providing helpful advice along the way.
As a result, these students are experts on the collection and its importance within the larger phenomenon of cast collections. The culmination of their hard work will be a lasting contribution to future students and the University community, all of whom will be able to enjoy this collection.
It is also a pleasure to acknowledge in this space the 12 students:
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Many individuals made it possible for us to have this gift of plaster casts at Fairfield, including Dr. Elizabeth Milleker (MMA), and from Fairfield University:
- Dr. Orin Grossman
- Dr. Timothy Law Snyder
- Dr. Mary Frances Malone
- Dr. Marti LoMonaco (former Chair)
- Dr. Jesús Escobar (former Chair)
- Mr. Charles De Angelis
- Mr. Jeffrey Simon
Katherine A. Schwab, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Director, Art History Program,
Department of Visual and Performing Arts
Curator, MMA Cast Collection
kaschwab@fairfield.edu