Christian Jürgensen Thomsen, Archeologist and Museum Director 1858

This is a plaster bust of Christian Jürgensen Thomsen, the archeologist and museum director, made by H.W. Bissen in the 19th century. Plaster is a humble material, a mixture of gypsum, water and perhaps some additives to control the setting time. The skilled sculptor can manipulate this slurry to capture fine details, as seen here in Thomsen’s hair. But plaster is also a material of reproduction. Sculptors often used plaster casts as models for marble sculptures, or to make multiple copies of a single artwork. Plaster allowed for the democratization of images. Plaster’s ability to mimic other materials also raises interesting questions about value and authenticity. Is this bust somehow less important, less real, because it is made of plaster rather than marble or bronze? I would argue, on the contrary, that the material is fundamental to its meaning. It places this work at the intersection of art, craft, and industry.