St Fin Barre’s Cathedral is home to an internationally significant collection of plaster maquettes. A maquette is a model which is made before creating a finished work: a preparatory sketch in three dimensions.
They were made by sculptor, Thomas Nicholls according to the architect William Burges’ unique designs for the stone carvings of the cathedral.
To Burges, the decoration of the building was as important as its architectural structure. Sculptures form part of his unified vision for the cathedral. This maquette collection offers a unique glimpse into the creative process and takes us back to a moment in time before the building was complete and the architect’s ideas were set in stone.
Maquettes such as these would usually have been destroyed once their purpose had been served and the building was finished. Thankfully, that didn’t happen in this case and we have been left a rich yet fragile legacy.
An important project is now underway as conservation experts examine the collection. They will make a report on the condition of each piece before beginning to conserve and the delicate plaster.
There is some urgency to the situation as the original storage conditions have deteriorated over time.
The cathedral is a suitable environment in which to slowly dry these objects, so we have created a temporary exhibition. Here, a number of the maquettes are currently on display while they become stable and ready for conservation. As the project continues, more maquettes will be added.
This is fluid, working exhibition which offers a rare view of these historic objects in their raw, unconserved state. This is a point in their journey towards restoration, a place where they are brought to dry and to mend before moving on.
Visitors will see approximately one tenth of the entire Burges Maquette Collection on display at any one time.