The act of modeling a sculpture is the creative decision of the artist. The final bronze was usually the shared responsibility of the sculptor and the foundry, including mold makers, casters, chasers etc. They made decisions on surface, color, texture, scale, and form.
To make a bronze sculpture, the foundry begins with an artist’s prototype, often modeled in clay and then cast in plaster. From the clay or plaster model, a mold is fabricated. The mold is used to cast the artwork using molten bronze.
Mold-making and casting is done by skilled workers in a foundry, although overseen by the artist. The artist would oversee the production of the bronze cast, providing final touches by hand and choosing the finish, or patina, that adds color and luster to the bare metal. Patina colors range from green to various hues of brown.
When preserving bronze, conservators either maintain the aged character of the sculpture or create a restored appearance. If little evidence is available regarding the original patina color, conservators often select to preserve the aged green color of the bronze.
