The Fig Reveal: This is when the Crawford statues are losing their fig leaves
If you’ve ever wondered what lies beneath the carefully placed fig leaf on a Canova Cast Adonis, this is your lucky month.
The plaster leaves concealing any glimpse of nudity (a nod to Adam and Eve’s use of them to cover their modesty) are to be removed this month, restoring the casts to their original condition.
The fig reveal will be happening on June 17th-21st / 24th -28th at the Emmet Place gallery.
Over the course of two weeks, sculpture conservator Eoghan Daltun will remove the fig leaves from six male figures in the Crawford’s collection of Canova Casts, carrying out any delicate repairs necessary as he goes.
The gents due to be exposed are Adonis, Apollo Belvedere, Laocoon and His Sons, and the Belvedere Torso.
View this post on Instagram
While the casts are thought to be more than 200 years old, it’s believed the fig leaves were added in Cork after 1818. After the ‘fig’ reveal, the plaster leaves will be retained and placed on display separately.
If you’d like to know more about the Canova Casts, a live ‘In Conversation’ event with Eoghan Daltun and curator and art historian Michael Waldron will take place in the Sculpture Galleries on Thursday, June 20th at 1pm. The lunchtime chat is free to attend and there’s no need to book.
