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Animal Sculpture for Sale

Animal sculpture is a sculptural style in its own right. This specific genre deserves the same recognition as nude, marble, bronze and resin sculptures.

The representation of animals and anthropomorphism has long been a source of inspiration for sculptural creations and yet it was once considered a minor genre in Western European decorative arts. Ironically, animal sculpture was of the utmost importance to Ancient civilizations. Countless ancient Egyptian buildings for example were adorned with animal sculptures, from grandiose representations of felines to Sphinxes. More generally within the visual arts, animals were rarely represented in their own right, and were often depicted accompanying or symbolizing mythological figures or even character traits.

Aside from its mythical representations, animal sculptures were also popular with suzerain states who used monumental bronze sculptures of lions or eagles to symbolise the immensity of their power.

However, it wasn't until 1831 that the sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye finally established animal sculpture as a noble art, thanks to his work "Tiger devouring a Gavial Crocodile" at the Salon de Paris. It was no longer fashionable to depict animals as unreal, mythological creatures in the decorative arts and instead naturalism and realistic representations of animals characterized the sculpture of the period. Ideas about nature's wealth and abundance meant that all creatures deserved to be carefully and meticulously recreated in the closest likeness possible. Mythical animal interpretations were left behind and artists concentrated on capturing the finer details of an animal's fur, muscles or mouth.

A new wave of renowned animal sculptors emerged. Pierre-Jules Mêne, Antoine Aigon and Jean Germain Demay are just a few examples of some of these pioneering artists. Particularly interested in 'exotic' species (snakes, gazelles, elephants, giraffes, hippopotamuses…), they all explored representing the natural world in a variety of different ways.

In the 20th century, realist tendencies gradually faded away and a new group of creative minds began to experiment with animal sculpture as part of the shift towards modern sculpture.

Numerous artists tried their hand at animal sculpture whilst applying new aesthetic criteria which was largely influenced by modern and contemporary art movements: Abstract art, Impressionism, Cubism, Expressionism. Guided by key surrealist influences, which could not have been further removed from the traditional styles of the past century, a new bestiary was created. Pablo Picasso and Alberto Giacometti were among the key figures who helped to reinvent the way artists endeavored to sculpt animals.

In contemporary animal sculpture, radically redefining artistic techniques and the way we represent living beings has taken precedence over realistic proportion sizes and lifelike features. Artists no longer refrain from accentuating a particular body part, removing a limb for example or creating an entirely new hybrid beast. However, many artists are also skilled at creating hyper-realistic animals that seem so real they almost appear to be alive.

To help you get an idea of the latest animal sculptures, take a look at Artsper's collection of sculpted animals, selected from some of the best contemporary art galleries and made by artists including Jaques Dufrane, Raymundo Fabian Melchor and Roxana y Jesus Hernandez.

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Sculpture, Comedic Rooster, Viktor Zuk

Comedic Rooster

Viktor Zuk

Sculpture - 30 x 27.5 x 11.5 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 10.8 x 4.5 inch

$819

Sculpture, Levitate, Johannes Nielsen

Levitate

Johannes Nielsen

Sculpture - 10.5 x 6.5 x 11 cm Sculpture - 4.1 x 2.6 x 4.3 inch

$777

Sculpture, Big Quickly, Sophie Verger

Big Quickly

Sophie Verger

Sculpture - 54 x 48 x 31 cm Sculpture - 21.3 x 18.9 x 12.2 inch

$10,440

Sculpture, T-Rex, Richard Orlinski

T-Rex

Richard Orlinski

Sculpture - 40 x 60 x 40 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 23.6 x 15.7 inch

$61,393

Sculpture, Panther, Richard Orlinski

Panther

Richard Orlinski

Sculpture - 80 x 38 x 17 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 15 x 6.7 inch

$22,500

Sculpture, Le bison, Marc Petit

Le bison

Marc Petit

Sculpture - 27 x 42 x 16 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 16.5 x 6.3 inch

$5,932

Sculpture, Very Good Day, Viktor Zuk

Very Good Day

Viktor Zuk

Sculpture - 26 x 13 x 22 cm Sculpture - 10.2 x 5.1 x 8.7 inch

$652

Sculpture, Horse, Richard Orlinski

Horse

Richard Orlinski

Sculpture - 40 x 10 x 26 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 3.9 x 10.2 inch

$9,000

Sculpture, Ambition, Karen Akhikyan

Ambition

Karen Akhikyan

Sculpture - 70 x 14 x 14 cm Sculpture - 27.6 x 5.5 x 5.5 inch

$1,200

Sculpture, Virage, Stratos

Virage

Stratos

Sculpture - 82 x 64 x 3 cm Sculpture - 32.3 x 25.2 x 1.2 inch

$2,847

Sculpture, Lion d'or, Maxime Davoust

Lion d'or

Maxime Davoust

Sculpture - 26 x 21 x 21 cm Sculpture - 10.2 x 8.3 x 8.3 inch

$1,127

Sculpture, Grindstone 3, tizlu

Grindstone 3

tizlu

Sculpture - 29 x 24.5 x 15 cm Sculpture - 11.4 x 9.6 x 5.9 inch

$1,068

Sculpture, Monkey business, Ghost Art

Monkey business

Ghost Art

Sculpture - 57 x 37 x 47 cm Sculpture - 22.4 x 14.6 x 18.5 inch

$4,686

Sculpture, Happy Hours, Viktor Zuk

Happy Hours

Viktor Zuk

Sculpture - 22 x 25 x 17 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 9.8 x 6.7 inch

$664

Sculpture, Red Bull, Richard Orlinski

Red Bull

Richard Orlinski

Sculpture - 53 x 70 x 20 cm Sculpture - 20.9 x 27.6 x 7.9 inch

$13,050

Sculpture, Angel Bear, Richard Texier

Angel Bear

Richard Texier

Sculpture - 22 x 18 x 16.5 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 7.1 x 6.5 inch

$712

Sculpture, Crocodile, Richard Orlinski

Crocodile

Richard Orlinski

Sculpture - 45 x 110 x 45 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 43.3 x 17.7 inch

$14,473

Sculpture, Deer, Richard Orlinski

Deer

Richard Orlinski

Sculpture - 79 x 60 x 55 cm Sculpture - 31.1 x 23.6 x 21.7 inch

$24,794

Sculpture, Eagle, Richard Orlinski

Eagle

Richard Orlinski

Sculpture - 200 x 575 x 265 cm Sculpture - 78.7 x 226.4 x 104.3 inch

$129,310

Sculpture, Chat joyeux, Âme Sauvage

Chat joyeux

Âme Sauvage

Sculpture - 20 x 7 x 9 cm Sculpture - 7.9 x 2.8 x 3.5 inch

Sold

Sculpture, Teddy Dior, Naor

Teddy Dior

Naor

Sculpture - 35 x 30 x 20 cm Sculpture - 13.8 x 11.8 x 7.9 inch

$1,186

Sculpture, Lion, Richard Orlinski

Lion

Richard Orlinski

Sculpture - 15 x 25 x 7 cm Sculpture - 5.9 x 9.8 x 2.8 inch

$5,339

Sculpture, Horse, Richard Orlinski

Horse

Richard Orlinski

Sculpture - 190 x 80 x 100 cm Sculpture - 74.8 x 31.5 x 39.4 inch

$190,000

Sculpture, Panda Love, Shelby

Panda Love

Shelby

Sculpture - 51 x 35 x 40 cm Sculpture - 20.1 x 13.8 x 15.7 inch

$2,135

Sculpture, Teddy CH Tribute, Naor

Teddy CH Tribute

Naor

Sculpture - 35 x 25 x 28 cm Sculpture - 13.8 x 9.8 x 11 inch

$771

Sculpture, Munny Cameleon, Onemizer

Munny Cameleon

Onemizer

Sculpture - 45 x 40 x 30 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 15.7 x 11.8 inch

$5,813

Sculpture, Quickly, Sophie Verger

Quickly

Sophie Verger

Sculpture - 13 x 15 x 7 cm Sculpture - 5.1 x 5.9 x 2.8 inch

$1,898

Sculpture, Owl, Sophie Verger

Owl

Sophie Verger

Sculpture - 19 x 7.5 x 4 cm Sculpture - 7.5 x 3 x 1.6 inch

$1,163

5/37

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Discover the selection of our experts

Print, Balance, Irena Aizen

Balance

Irena Aizen

Print - 25.5 x 22.5 x 1 cm Print - 10 x 8.9 x 0.4 inch

$769

Print, Paris verte, M.Chat

Paris verte

M.Chat

Print - 44 x 35 cm Print - 17.3 x 13.8 inch

$415

Need help with Animal Sculpture for Sale ?
Who are the animal sculptors?
Animal sculptors, called animaliers, create works depicting wildlife in bronze, ceramic, or other materials. Among the most famous are François Pompon, Rembrandt Bugatti, and Richard Orlinski.
What are the three main types of sculptures?
The three main types of sculpture are sculpture in the round (sculpture in volume, visible from all angles), bas-relief (sculpture slightly protruding from a background) and high-relief (sculpture in great relief, almost detached from the background).
Who is Jacques Owczarek?
Jacques Owczarek is a French sculptor born in 1969, renowned for his clean-lined bronze animal sculptures. His work combines strength and elegance, capturing the essence of animals with great technical mastery.
Who is the most famous animal sculptor of all time?
Antoine-Louis Barye is considered the most famous animal sculptor of all time. A master of bronze in the 19th century, he revolutionized the depiction of animals with his realism and sense of movement.