Of Form and Fancy
We thought we would add a little collection of pages to explain some of the forms, terms and the history that makes up the world of decorative plasterwork. Over time we hope it will become an eclectic mix of notes, thoughts and essays from which you can extract whatever takes your fancy. We hope you'll enjoy and please feel free to contribute with any observations you may have or corrections you feel we need to make
The Alchemy of 4000 years of History
Perhaps the most famous example and earliest of plasterwork is found at the pyramids of Egypt, which contain plasterwork that is at least 4,000 years old. It is preserved in near perfect condition. In some areas it has proved stronger than the stone of the pyramids themselves. Where plaster has been chipped off in antiquity or damage, the stone beneath shows signs of deterioration from long ago. If the ancient plaster had not been so strong and protective, the wall paintings from which we have learnt so much about the ancient Egyptian life, would never have been found.
So well respected were the ancient Egyptian plasterers, that their tools were buried in the tomb with their Pharaoh. Plastering tools and hand floats that are more or less the same in design to tools used today by plasterers can be found in the collections of the University College London. The Egyptians used a plaster made from burnt gypsum for their finest work over a lime base coat, in the same way and manner as is done in our time.
Ancient Greek Origins
The ancient Greeks used plaster to adorn and protect their temples both internally and externally even coating marble in some cases. The temple of Apollo at Bassae still has some remains of a fine 2000 year old white stucco plaster on its sandstone columns.
Pliny the elder wrote about the temple of Minerva in Elis built around 450 B.C. He records that Panaenus, the brother of the famous sculptor Pheidias, worked on the shrine. That shrine was included in Pliny's surveys of materials and monuments, specifically mentioning that saffron and milk were mixed into the plaster used, which were then polished by hand. He goes on to describes how the walls and the temple still had the odour of saffron.
The famous Greek realist sculptor Lysippus was the first to be recorded as making plaster casts of the faces of his sitters around 300 B.C., this suggests the art of plaster casting had been practiced and perfected by the Greeks for many years before.
Anything the Greeks Can Do...Romans Can Do...
Greece became a Roman province in 145 B.C. and at that time plastering arrived in Rome. Statues too arrived as the spoils of victory and I could be argued this was the birth of home decor. Fashionable Romans plastered their villas as this new found technique became popular and then decorated the plasterwork with vivid designs against which they displayed their collections of statues.
Fine Roman plasterwork was preserved in the ceilings of vaults in the villas of Rome. These were rediscovered during the digging of a new channel for the river Tiber. The significant discovery, highlighted the historical significance of plasterwork in Roman architecture. its durability and artistic importance brought once more to the fore.
The rediscovery of this plasterwork is part of a broader understanding of the architectural techniques and materials the Romans used. These discoveries have influenced modern usage of plasters. You can see many fine examples of Roman plasterwork in the Victoria and Albert museum in London. The finely modelled stucco plaster work from the great baths of Pompeii, can be seen in the images below demonstrating just how skilled the Roman craftsmen were. Close observation will reveal the use of many of the design motifs discussed elsewhere in in Of form and Fancy
Roman Plasterwork in Pompeii
Credit for images -By ho visto nina volare from Italy - Pompei 2015, CC BY-SA 2.0 By User:MatthiasKabel - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, - By Dave & Margie Hill / Kleerup from Centennial, CO, USA - The Forum BathsUploaded by Marcus Cyron, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30179678 - By Miguel Hermoso Cuesta - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34926897
A Medieval Transformation
It was in the middle ages that plastering in Britain really took off, Until then, wattle and daub was the rule, an application of sticky clay, soil and cattle dung over a weave of sticks making up the house wall. This timber framing and stick wall build was not a great combination with open fires in medieval Britain.
Knowledge was growing across Europe that the properties of plaster had the ability to protect against fire. This knowledge lead in the the latter part of the 12th Century, to the first mayor of London, Henry Fitz Alwyn to order that all cooking shop buildings were to be plastered.
In 1212 there was a huge fire which destroyed many buildings along the Thames and spread onto London bridge. The bridge had recently been rebuilt in stone so it survived but houses that had been built along it which were supposed to help pay for it’s maintenance were all destroyed.
King John endorsed Henry Fitz Alwyns order following a huge fire in London in 1212 by commanding that shop owners around the Thames and London bridge must whitewash and plaster inside and out any house covered in reed or rush within 8 days or it was to be demolished. He further ordered that all houses in which brewing or baking is done be plastered within and without so that they be safe from fire.
It was in 1254 that the name Plaster of Paris was invented. It was the result of King Henry III travels to Paris where he fell in love with the white walls he found surrounding him. He introduced gypsum (excavated around Paris) plaster to England and this is how we now have the name.
A contract for plastering dated 1317 exists where Adam the plasterer a citizen of London agrees with Sir John De Bretagne Earl of Richmond to find “plaster of paris” wherewith to plaster his hall wall and befittingly within and without.
13th Century Plastering
During the mid 13th century additives such as hair for reinforcement and malt, urine, beer, milk or eggs were used for plasticity. Ox or cow hair was preferred as the longer the hair the better it was. Although horse hair was also used which was sometimes mixed with the longer ox hair but it did produce a lesser quality plaster.
14th Century Plastering
By the 14th century decorative plasterwork in the form of pargeting and terracotta had found it’s way to England although it did not really become fashionable until later on in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Pargeting in those days was a form of decorative external render that was used to decorate the exterior of timber framed buildings. Patterns were moulded or modelled into the lime putty or plaster used which produced a very ornate look. Terracotta didn’t really get used in plasterwork but instead was used to create ornaments and pots.
15th and 16th Century Plastering
During the 15th and 16th Century the roman techniques of plastering together with fresco painting were studied and carried out in grand houses throughout Britain.
They used stucco duro which is a mixture of air slaked lime and marble dust with a little gypsum in order to help it set. Excavations of Henry VII’s palace in Nonsuch discovered some lovely stucco decorations that are still in very good condition.
During this time decorative plaster really became very fashionable. Plasterers and pargetors became of such importance that in 1501 a separate guild and company in London was formed known as the Plaisterers Guild.
It was important that the tradesmen were master craftsman so a charter was made by Charles II which forbade any person from carrying on simultaneously the trades of mason bricklayer and plasterer and also forbade any person to exercise or carry on the art of plasterer without having been apprenticed seven years.
Search days as described in the charter were annually appointed up to 1832 and fines were inflicted upon offenders for using bad materials and bad workmanship. Maybe this is something that should still be existence today!
Painters started to become concerned that the plasterers were taking over their trade so an Act was passed forbidding plasterers from painting in the city of London restricting them to a few distemper colours only. It did not do the painters any good though as painting was on the decline and white plastered ceilings moved into fashion.
Plasterers therefore became the supreme decorators of the time.
Other techniques that emerged during this era developed by venetian skilled workers was Armouring and the decorative scagliola marble effect pillars.
During the 17th Century Plastering continued to be the height of interior design fashion. More elaborate plaster ornamentation was being carried out and it was becoming more widespread throughout Britain.
Stucco marble and decorative scagliola marble effect pillars started to become popular as did the influence of Grinling Gibbons. Gibbons specialised in plaster sculptures using wires and twigs to create flowers and his highly skilled work became much sort after.
The 18th century saw the introduction of oil mastics and the patented Adams cement that was used as a rendering on the front of a number of buildings in Bedford Square and other prestigious buildings that the Adam’s brothers were responsible for.
It also saw the internal wall plastering technique of lath and plaster and Robert Adam’s flare for plasterwork in interior design became very popular during this period. His designs of plastered fireplaces, mouldings and ceilings were very much sought after resulting in the style being named after him.