Plaster Models

But don't be fooled by the term "half scale"! Canada Bereft, or The Figure of Canada. Vimy Memorial Plaster. National Gallery of Canada.)

(The Defenders, The Breaking of the Sword. Courtesy Canadian War Museum. William Kent.)

(The Defenders, Sympathy of Canadians for the Helpless. Courtesy Canadian War Museum. William Kent.)

Though these plasters are half the size of the monument's statues, their presence still inspires a certain awe and calm.(The Spirit of Sacrifice, Sacrifice. Courtesy Canadian War Museum. William Kent.)

(The Spirit of Sacrifice, The Torch Bearer. Courtesy Canadian War Museum. William Kent.)

(Hope. Courtesy Canadian War Museum. William Kent.)

(Charity. Courtesy Canadian War Museum. William Kent.)

If you want to feel how impressive these plaster models truly are, visit the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa (Ontario) where several of them grace its equally impressive Regeneration Hall. The truly great thing about visiting these models is the ability to see Allward's finger prints in the plaster – a unique experience that even the monument can only partially deliver (given that most of its statues are out of reach).(Faith. Courtesy Canadian War Museum. William Kent.)

(Honour. Courtesy Canadian War Museum. William Kent.)

After being created, each of these plasters was moved to the construction site...(Justice. Courtesy Canadian War Museum. William Kent.)

...and set beside the block from which its "stone sake" was to be carved.(Peace. Courtesy Canadian War Museum. William Kent.)

Then, the fine finishing and detailing work was all hand-carved by sculptors. All this hard work was done in situ (on the spot, where they continue to stand).(Truth. Courtesy Canadian War Museum. William Kent.)

The job of turning square blocks of Seget stone, a type of limestone, into double size reproductions of the plaster models was done progressively, in two stages. First, a machine called a pantograph (back)would go over each plaster, carving its rough shape into the stone.(Knowledge. Courtesy Canadian War Museum. William Kent.)

With the right supervision, the elegant and simple main body of the monument could be built by contractors and stone cutters from architectural drawings. However, the 20 allegorical figures would only keep their true classical character and Allward's unique styling if touched by the master himself. So Walter Allward handcrafted half scale plaster models of each one of them.

(Female Mourner. Vimy Memorial Plaster. National Gallery of Canada.)

(Male Mourner. Vimy Memorial Plaster. National Gallery of Canada.)

After winning the 1921 Canadian Battlefields Memorial Commission's design competition (back) with etchings of his now famous masterpiece, Walter Allward (back) had to find a way to bring his vision to life by turning concept into reality. He had to bridge the gap between relatively small reference drawings (back) and the monumental limestone carvings found on Vimy Ridge today.(Maquette for the Vimy Monument c.1921 plaster. Walter S. Allward Collection. Library and Archives Canada/National Gallery of Canada.)