Plaster Academy Cast of a Foot

A hollow-cast plaster anatomical study of a right foot, terminating cleanly just above the ankle. Intended as a teaching aid for life drawing and anatomical instruction, such casts were produced in significant quantities throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by academy ateliers and commercial plaster formatori, frequently modelled after fragments of classical sculpture.

The casting displays well-articulated tendon and skeletal structure, retaining softened tool marks and textural pitting typical of piece-mould plaster casting. An integral thin plinth supports the sole and extended toes. The pale plaster surface carries an unvarnished natural patina with gentle ingrained dust and grey handling marks commensurate with decades of institutional or studio use.