The collection of plaster casts
Uppsala University has a rare collection of plaster casts of classical sculptures. It was acquired, mainly during the mid 19th century, for use in academic education. Students drew the classical models to help them understand the idea of ideal beauty. The collection comprises about 300 plaster casts.
The technique of casting sculptures was already known during classical times and was rediscovered during the 16th and 17th centuries. In order to spread knowledge about the archaeological finds of classical masterpieces that were emerging from Italy, and which were considered to represent the ideal of beauty, European royals ordered costly casts for their collections and academic institutions acquired them for teaching purposes.
