Renaissance plaster casts: first insights by means of Structured Light 3D Scanner

As part of an ongoing project dealing with the technical study of 15th century Florentine devotional reliefs, a focus was made to investigate their production by serial casting. Manufacturing techniques of the so-called Madonne di gesso were investigated on 12 artworks chosen after three different models of Donatello and B. Bellano, Desiderio da Settignano and Antonio Rossellino. Results obtained with a structured light 3D scanner were invaluable for art historians. Despite their location, a simultaneous examination of the reliefs kept in the Louvre Museum and in Florence (Bargello and Bardini Museums) was carried out, as well as a mesh comparison of their 3D models. This allowed us to identify and measure millimetric differences of shapes and topography between reliefs of the same type and/or casting series. Indeed, direct correlations have been established by verifying the low-reliefs most likely produced from the same mould/prototype. In some cases, a chronology within the casting series has been proposed. Results disclosed manufacturing insights on these artworks produced in 15th century Florentine botteghe.