Copies Of 17th Century Italian Columns
- mouldings and ornaments
- exquisite patinas
- a mouldmaking service
- painted copies and originals
- beautifully sculpted frames
- and rather a lot more….
- mouldings and ornaments
- exquisite patinas
- a mouldmaking service
- painted copies and originals
- beautifully sculpted frames
- and rather a lot more….
On this project the client had in their possession two original 17th Century Italian Decorative Columns, of which they wished to make copies, and around which to design a library.
- make moulds of the columns, plinths, capitals, puttis and mouldings.
- cast and finish all the elements.
- install all the columns, plinths, capitals, puttis and mouldings.
- finish and paint all the elements together.
Fabrication Of The Copies
The Installation & Painting
Fabrication Of The Copies
The Installation & Painting
Moulds were made of one column and plinth, one capital, two cherubs, as well as moulds for the original decorative moulding. The moulds were made using silicone rubber, polyurethane, fibres, and wood.
The original column was a half circle laid flat against the wood. The client requested that the new columns be three quarter columns, thus the column would wrap around the wooden structure of the interior. The columns were adapted to fit these new desired dimensions.
The plinths, capitals, cherubs and larger mouldings were all cast in acrylic and fibre re-inforced plaster. Some smaller pieces were cast in polyurethane for handling reasons.
The columns were adapted to fit the dimensions of the library. The client also requested that one of the columns be made to act as a hinge for a revolving hidden door. This column was constructed like the others, but had a partially hollow interior where a special metal hinge was installed.
The colours and layers used in painting the cherubs were based on research, and on studies of the originals. Oil paint and gold paint were used. Beneath the gold there was an underpainting of yellow ochre and red ochre both simulating traditional bole colours, and intensifying the warmth of the gold. The same layering of colours as on the originals were used when painting the copies.
Patinas of oil paint and stone paste were applied to the capitals, cherubs.
The main columns were painted in a marbling technique by a colleague.