Model for Bronze Casts of the Beethoven Bust

What it is

This is the plaster-like model created by sculptor Frederic Storck, used to produce bronze casts of his Beethoven bust. It shows a man with wavy hair and a stern, inward-looking expression, head slightly tilted. It is held by the Bucharest Municipality Museum.

Why it matters

This model was the step before the finished bronze busts could be made — it is the sculptor's working version. Comparing it with the finished bronze (held in the same collection) shows how a sculpture is produced in stages, and how later generations kept recreating Beethoven's image from imagination rather than direct observation.

Look closer

• How does this worn, unfinished model differ from the polished bronze bust?
• Why would a sculptor need a model before casting metal?
• What does the description 'as if alone in his own world' suggest about how Storck wanted Beethoven to appear?