Few objects are as emblematic of the art of the ancient world as the Parthenon Marbles, the collection of ancient Greek marble sculptures that adorned the exterior of the Parthenon temple on the Athenian Acropolis, the bulk of which now sit in the British Museum. This volume pivots to an underexplored facet of the Parthenon's history, examining how casts and copies of the Parthenon sculptures were disseminated and viewed from the eighteenth century to the present, mapping a history of connected archaeologies and interpretations. The book is not so much a history of the Parthenon Sculptures and their casts, but rather, at its core, a technical study of the processes, materials and techniques of sculpture casting and their subsequent deterioration or conservation since practices began in the eighteenth century to the present. P. demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the field, and it is in these discussions that the work excels, indicating a detailed and thorough understanding of not only casting but also an expert close-reading of the similarities and differences between casts and original antiquities and the ‘layers’ of meaning that can be uncovered when we consider casts as historical and archaeological objects.
This central premise is established in the introduction, as well as the main figures whose interventions will be the catalyst for much discussion of the book: Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, and Comte de Choiseul-Gouffier and their agents. P. provides a useful technical introduction to the process of plaster casting and its history, which is clear and well-researched, providing key contextual information for the social and cultural landscape in which the original casts were made. Chapters 1 and 2 provide a good historical context to the origins of casts taken from the Parthenon and the main actors who instigated them, beginning with the Comte de Choiseul-Gouffier (Chapter 1) in the late eighteenth century and Thomas Bruce (Chapter 2). In these chapters P. situates the casting process within complex social, professional and diplomatic networks, particularly in discussions of the competition between Britain and France. Chapter 2 illustrates that, for much of their history, casts of the Parthenon sculptures could act as stand-ins for originals, drawing a small but interesting comparison between the original integration of casts in the British Museum and the way in which casts have been incorporated in the display of the Acropolis Museum as a contemporary political statement (p. 53).
Chapter 3 shifts tone to explore the archaeological significance of 3D imaging, including an extensive technical description of deteriorating factors and their impact. Chapters 4 and 5 continue this thread, treating the Parthenon casts as historical documents with their own histories of use and interpretation and 3D scans as tools for comparative analysis. Chapter 5, an exploration into the history of the British Museum's cleaning of the Parthenon sculptures, provides important insights into the changing attitudes and evolution of conservation within the museum, and P.'s digital analysis of the casts enriches this discourse greatly.
Chapter 6 turns to the concept of authenticity and what that means for understanding plaster casts of the Parthenon and how different mediums, including mechanical reproductions and photography, have impacted our perception of ‘authentic’ qualities of antiquities. Importantly, P. notes that, in addition to their function as a reproduction, casts also served as a medium for experimentation in both form and colour. As P. comments in the closing remarks, casts of the Parthenon spread globally for numerous functions, opening possibilities for further studies, for which P.'s British Museum-centric volume provides an excellent introduction to the field.
One of the biggest strengths of the book is P.'s ability to insert interdisciplinary methodologies and discussions throughout the text. For example, the materiality of plaster casts is a key theme throughout, and P. weaves both material culture and scientific readings of this materiality together, for example in the comparisons of surface texture between plaster and marble when viewed through digital scans. The Parthenon Sculptures have been, and likely always will be, contentious and politically charged objects. P. is diplomatic in descriptions of disputed topics, particularly surrounding Elgin's removal of the sculptures and the debated legitimacy of such an act. The political and imperial implications of the sculptures loom like an elephant in the room throughout, referenced but never discussed, which is disappointing, considering some of the key themes of the book, particularly around authenticity and value. For example, despite noting that plaster casts have been used by the Acropolis Museum in Athens to fill the spaces of those pieces that were removed from Athens, little further space is given to the significance of this act, nor a discussion of the widespread and ongoing support for the marbles’ repatriation.
The volume is an important and thorough introduction to the history of casting, scanning and digital production of antiquities. It makes a strong case for the continued preservation and exploration of casts and moulds as well as how we can continue to interrogate them as historical documents. It would provide an excellent introductory text to those unfamiliar with casting and reproduction, and P.'s discussion of complex scientific and technological terminology is concise and informative throughout; the argument is complemented by liberal illustrations. It provides a unique and much-needed new perspective in the history of the Parthenon and its artworks, enriching the field of western receptions of antiquity.
