Apollo 16054 and Eros 16057
Analog print from positiv to positiv on mylar paper, 13x18cm

During the 19th century, plaster casts were often the only way to learn about antique sculpture. Usually they were copies from works created in the Greek Classical and Hellenistic periods, not only originals but sometimes Roman copies as well. They were perfect objects to be sketched by and offering inspiration to artists.

Intrigued by the phenomenon of duplication, I added two steps in this whole sequence of copying, by firstly photographing casts on 35mm positive Polaroid film, and making another copy by printing them on paper. Each of these steps, started centuries ago, caused some attributes of the original decrease or disappear, like detail resolution, color rendering or positioning in space.

Courtesy Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam