Portrait of a Young Woman

myminifactory

This is a plaster cast of a bust of a young woman crafted around 1889 possibly in Berlin. The original bust is attributed to Mino da Fiesole who created it in Florence during the 15th century. It previously resided in the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin, where it suffered damage during the Second World War. Mino da Fiesole (or Mino di Giovanni)(ca. 1429 – 1484), was a renowned sculptor from Tuscany specialising in marble. He was heavily influenced by Desiderio da Settignano and Antonio Rosselino, producing iconic portrait busts that are well known. Plaster casts gained immense popularity during the 19th century, when reproductions of remarkable works of sculpture and architecture were deemed essential for artist training. A separating substance was applied to the surface of the work to be replicated, followed by a plaster mould made from it. The mould would then be used to create multiple additional plaster duplicates. These replicas were often sold to artists, later in the century to art schools for study purposes, and other institutions.