Conservation of the Memorial
First modeled by the artist in clay, then molded and cast in sections, the plaster version of the Shaw Memorial was constructed of twenty-one major sections and more than thirty smaller ones -- such as the rifles -- allowing it to be dismantled and reassembled for different exhibitions. Each move required installing metal and wood supports in the back, filling and finishing section joins, and providing an overall, unifying surface treatment.
The installation at the National Gallery marks the ninth time that the sculpture has been dismantled and reassembled. During the past year, a new stainless steel armature has been designed, the plaster has been stabilized and restored, and the surface newly treated. Based on archival documentation and physical evidence obtained by technical examination of microscopic surface samples, the current conservation treatment attempts to reproduce the appearance of the work during Saint-Gaudens' day, when it was covered with delicately toned gold and brass leaf.
