Edinburgh College of Art : cast collection and architecture

Abstract

The Edinburgh Cast Collection comprises 265 plaster casts of Antique, Renaissance, and Gothic statues, bas reliefs, and architectural passages held at the Edinburgh College of Art and the University of Edinburgh. The plaster casts at the Edinburgh College of Art are displayed in an A-listed building, including a beautiful neo-Classical sculpture court specifically designed to house our casts of the Parthenon frieze – works donated directly by Lord Elgin especially for the education of artists in Scotland. The casts at the University of Edinburgh were acquired at the end of the 19th century as a teaching collection to illustrate Classical art history.