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positifs en cire

English translation: Wax death masks (in some contexts)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:positifs en cire
English translation:Wax death masks (in some contexts)
Entered by: Helene Tammik

07:53 Dec 13, 2021
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
French term or phrase: positifs en cire
A brief definition of the artistic notion of 'imago'. Any ideas what 'positifs en cire' could mean?

L’imago c’est la notion romaine qui suppose une duplication par empreinte, l’image-matrice produite par contact direct du plâtre sur le visage d’un mort, dont les positifs en cire viendront orner l’atrium de la maison.
Jonathan Spencer
Spain
Local time: 20:35
Wax death masks
Explanation:
The plaster cast from the dead person’s face serves as the mould (or “negative”). You then produce a “positive” form by pouring hot wax into the cast, which sets into a death mask. A series of these masks can be produced.
Selected response from:

Helene Tammik
Local time: 20:35
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5Wax death masks
Helene Tammik
4 +1wax positive
philgoddard


  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Wax death masks


Explanation:
The plaster cast from the dead person’s face serves as the mould (or “negative”). You then produce a “positive” form by pouring hot wax into the cast, which sets into a death mask. A series of these masks can be produced.

Helene Tammik
Local time: 20:35
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M
34 mins
agree  Katrin Dolle
1 hr
agree  Anastasia Kalantzi
2 hrs
agree  Yvonne Gallagher
5 hrs
neutral  philgoddard: Yes, they are death masks, but the French doesn't say "masque de mort". It's contrasting the plaster negative and the wax positive.
6 hrs
agree  writeaway
1 day 2 hrs
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
positif en cire
wax positive


Explanation:
Meaning a convex image.

Up to about six wax positives of one sculpture could be cast in series using a single gelatin mold.
http://books.google.com/books?id=Ude3CN2LRpMC&pg=PA83&lpg=PA...

Lost-wax casting is the process by which a duplicate metal sculpture is cast from an ... to make terracotta negatives for casting or to produce wax positives.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost-wax_casting





philgoddard
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 61

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  ph-b (X): « Enfin, on démoule pour obtenir le positif en cire. » https://www.lesoir.be/art/musee-de-cire-historium-2000-de-qu...
3 hrs
  -> Exactly. Thanks!
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