ICAA Casts Featured in Richard Morris Hunt Exhibition

The Preservation Society of Newport County has opened a new special exhibition, Richard Morris Hunt: In a New Light, on display at the Rosecliff Mansion from May 30 - November 2, 2025. The exhibit, curated by Leslie B. Jones, explores the life and work of the prolific Gilded Age architect, whose work in New York, Rhode Island, and across the country significantly influenced American architecture. The ICAA is pleased to loan three objects from our Cast Collection to the Preservation Society as part of this exhibit, showcasing the importance of plaster casts as a tool of study for architects and artists in the 19th century as well as emphasizing the relationship between Hunt and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Having studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Hunt brought his training in classical architecture to many of his projects, including the façade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. During the 18th and 19th centuries, plaster casts of architectural elements from antiquity to the Renaissance were closely examined by architects in a proximity that would not have been accessible or possible with the original structures. Hunt examined casts such as the ones found in the ICAA’s collection during his time at the École des Beaux-Arts as well as in his own studio in New York. In addition to lending his expertise in the design of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hunt helped establish the museum’s plaster cast collection and even made a donation from his own cast collection. The ICAA’s Cast Collection began in 2004 when the Metropolitan Museum donated over a hundred 19th-century casts, representing works from antiquity to the Renaissance.

In this exhibit, the ICAA’s casts are artfully displayed against a backdrop of trompe l'oeil paintings by local artist Karen Roarke which depict other plaster casts from the Met’s original collection. The choice of casts and contemporary works gives the viewer a sense of Hunt’s work as part of a long tradition spanning thousands of years of artistry, from antiquity to the present. Centered in the display is the Farnese Hera, carved in the 2nd century CE by a Roman sculptor. The original marble bust was based on the lost Greek bronze statue of Hera by Polykleitos, made circa 420 BCE, which was displayed at the Temple of Hera outside of Argos. The Hera bust is flanked by a fragment of the architrave of the “Porta della Mandorla” from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence and an anta capital from the “Porch of Maidens” of the Erechtheion in Athens. The original marble of this architrave was from a doorway of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as the Duomo, which is attributed to Niccolo d’Arezzo in 1408. The doorway itself was built in various phases by multiple artists between 1391 and 1423. The Erechtheion on the Acropolis is a temple, designed in the Ionic order, that was dedicated to Athena. The architect of this building is unclear but it was constructed 421- 406 BCE with a notable emphasis on ornament shown in the columns and antae adorned with lotus and palmette motifs. The presence of these plaster casts and Roarke’s paintings creates a complex, textured picture of Hunt’s architectural legacy — one of both continuity and innovation.

Richard Morris Hunt: In a New Light gives a detailed and meaningful look into the life and work of one of America's most significant architects, bringing together objects and artworks in a new and intriguing way. The history of plaster casts and their importance in the study of architecture and art was not always appreciated in the 20th century. The work of the Preservation Society and other institutions to highlight these histories and their real impact in the practice of architecture is a tremendous assist to the preservation of this craft and the mission of the ICAA.

Richard Morris Hunt: In a New Light is on display at the Rosecliff Mansion from May 30 - November 2, 2025 in Newport, Rhode Island.

Tags: cast hall, newport, richard morris hunt