Museo de Reproducciones de Bilbao (Reproductions Museum of Bilbao), Bilbao

The Reproductions of Museum Bilbao (Reproductions Museum of Bilbao), was created in 1927, the purpose of the museum is to compile classic pieces of art for the enjoyment of the local people. Among the works reproduced faithfully from museums like the Louvre, Vatican or British Museum: the Panathenaic Frieze of the Parthenon, the Slaves and the Moses of Michelangelo, the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory, the Laocoön Group, the Apoxyomenos, Gabies's Diana and Apollo Belvedere, among others.

Since the sixteenth century there has been a large tradition of copying works of classical art using the traditional technique of plaster cast. France and Italy will be in those early days the main countries where the art reproduction will be used. From the nineteenth century several museums gradually opened, generally tied to universities and academies of fine arts with the goal of teaching art history in a practical and dynamic way. One of the first fine arts museum was opened in Britain in 1857.

The aim of the governments of that time, was to show to the common people the "culture of humanity." The reproduction of works of art, has been useful to teach art, but apart from that it gives the chance to have testimonies of many works that during the Second World War were destroyed. However, during the twentieth century, museums of reproductions suffered a great decline, surpassed only now, with the modernization of some of them like the Berlin museum, the Trocadero, the Victoria & Albert Museum, etc.

From the beginning, the museum officials prevailed above all the quality of the work that they loved playing, rather than quantity. Thus, efforts were made to acquire works directly from the British Museum. Shipments of parts to play had the invaluable help of the illustrious businessman from Biscay called Ramón de la Sota. At the same time, taking into account the proximity of the Museum of Fine Arts in Bilbao, it was asked to give some works.

The earliest works come from the workshop to the Museum of Benito Madrid Bertolozzi: Leda, the David of Verrochio, "The Boy of the Thorn", "The Belvedere Torso", "Slave", "Torso of Subiaco", "Torso" by Phidias, "Apollonius". Later, also in Madrid, reach other famous works as "Discobole" or "Venus of Horses". On the other hand, unsuccessfully raised basement house the works of the Madrid Museum of Reproductions. From foreign museums reach of museums like Munich, works like Hercules or Hurt Warrior. Berlín: "Hermes" of Praxiteles. London will be acquired "Injured Lioness or "Three Fates". Louvre "Charioteer of Delphi", Venus de Milo or Winged Victory. From the Vatican Museum arrived Apollo, Laocoon and a portrait of Demosthenes.