Exposer des moulages d’antiques : à propos de la gypsothèque du musée du Louvre à Versailles

Abstract

By looking at the collections of casts of classical sculptures which have been assembled in the Petites Ecuries du roi (the former royal stables) at Versailles, it is possible to write the history of the different ways in which such collections have been presented in France since the nineteenth century, underlining the turning points when the status of these works changed. They were educational tools used in the teaching of architecture and in the practice of sculpture and drawing. But they were also employed, like photographs, in art history teaching for classical periods, and could also be used for the realisation of projects aimed at recreating monuments which had disappeared. These different functions explain the different ways in which the moulds were presented. Their examination helps us to understand the state in which these moulds have come down to us, helps us appreciate the constraints that their presentation involves, and helps suggest new ways of exhibiting them in our century.

Keywords

• Louvre museum
• gypsotheque
• moulds
• casts
• exhibition
• presentation