History of the Cast Courts
History of the Cast Courts
Discover the fascinating story behind a unique collection housed in one of the most popular spaces of the Museum
Opened in 1873, the Cast Courts display copies of some of the world's most significant works of art reproduced in plaster, electrotype, photography, and digital media. The cast collection is famous for including reproductions of Michelangelo's David, Trajan's Column, and Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise, amongst many others.
Read more Read lessHistory of the Cast Courts
Discover the fascinating story behind a unique collection housed in one of the most popular spaces of the Museum
The story of Michelangelo's David
Meet David, one of the most famous objects in the history of art
Trajan's Column
The magnificent plaster cast of Trajan's Column is one of the stars of the cast collection. Find out why
The Temperance Basin and the art of the copy
Discover the origin of the Wimbledon Ladies Singles Championships trophy
Conservation of the Pórtico de la Gloria cast
Watch the conservation of a monumental cast, a copy of a 12th-century Spanish cathedral portico
Inside Voices by Liam Byrne
Viola da gamba player Liam Byrne performs Baroque music from inside the magnificent cast of Trajan's Column
The Ethics Of Dust: Trajan's Column by Jorge Otero-Pailos
New York-based artist Jorge Otero-Pailos's installation interacted with the largest object in the Museum
Casting by Yiyun Kang
Watch Yiyun Kang reinterpreting the V&A's historic Cast Courts using digital projection mapping
How was it made? Plaster cast
Discover the fascinating process of plaster casting