Wood Sculpture for Sale
Wood and stone were among the first materials used by humans for carving tools and creating sculptures. While wood was commonly utilized, only a few wooden objects have survived through the centuries due to its tendency to decompose faster and be more easily damaged compared to more durable materials like bronze or stone.
From the 7th to the 9th century, many woodcarvers lived in monasteries, traveling from one to another. These woodcarvers were rare, and the style they followed was often prescriptive, leading to sculptures that were strikingly similar. This period was also marked by iconoclasm, during which religious wooden sculptures were destroyed due to the prohibition of depicting religious subjects.
Wood carving has a rich history in various regions, including England, Scandinavia, Africa, India, and Australia. In Europe, the 15th and 16th centuries saw a significant development in wooden sculpture, especially in Germany. Influential Gothic sculptors like Tilman Riemenschneider, Veit Stoss, Michael Pacher, Gregor Erhart, and Jorg Zurn pushed the boundaries of woodcarving, creating highly detailed and intricate works that remain influential to this day.
In the 17th century, woodcarving experienced a resurgence in England as Baroque ornaments became popular. Grinling Gibbons, a renowned woodcarver of the time, was one of the few artists widely recognized for his contributions. Meanwhile, in France, the Rococo style reignited interest in wood carving, with designers like Lelange, Foliot, and Cressent incorporating it into ornate furniture pieces.
Modern artists such as Brancusi, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, and Paul Gauguin have continued to explore wood as a medium. Brancusi, inspired by classical traditions, emphasized the finish and materiality of the wood, while Moore used it to create abstract and evocative forms. Hepworth's modern pieces and Gauguin's use of wood to connect with primitive techniques further demonstrate wood's versatile role in contemporary art.
Wood stands apart from other materials like resin or bronze due to its fragility and the range of tools required for carving. The technique used depends on the desired outcome, whether it's a low-relief sculpture or a free-standing piece that allows the viewer to walk around it. The process begins with sourcing wood planks that are flattened, dried, and calibrated. A sketch is then drawn onto the wood, and excess material is removed to roughly shape the piece. The sculptor uses tools such as u-gouges to refine the form, followed by flat gouges, chisels, and carving knives to add fine details and shadow play.
Artsper offers an extensive selection of modern wooden sculptures by prominent contemporary artists such as Nando Stevoli, Gaspard Mitz, César Orrico, Marc Laffolay, Lesley Hilling, and Valérie Carmet. These artists continue to push the boundaries of wood as a material, creating unique and striking sculptures that capture the versatility and timeless appeal of this medium.
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From the series "Bodies"
Andrius Erminas
Sculpture - 155 x 60 x 35 cm Sculpture - 61 x 23.6 x 13.8 inch
€2,000
Sortir du Cadre
Gaël Rouxeville
Sculpture - 64 x 48 x 37 cm Sculpture - 25.2 x 18.9 x 14.6 inch
€4,000
Shout with me II
Bertrand Joliet
Sculpture - 42 x 25 x 13 cm Sculpture - 16.5 x 9.8 x 5.1 inch
€1,500
Les Vagues et l'âme
Gaël Rouxeville
Sculpture - 33 x 35 x 11 cm Sculpture - 13 x 13.8 x 4.3 inch
€900
Libertad / Liberté
Federico Osorio
Sculpture - 58 x 6 x 6 cm Sculpture - 22.8 x 2.4 x 2.4 inch
€8,000
Renversements 734
Anneke Klein-Kranenbarg
Sculpture - 25 x 25 x 3.5 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 9.8 x 1.4 inch
€1,800
Quatre quadrilatères 508
Anneke Klein-Kranenbarg
Sculpture - 25 x 25 x 3.5 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 9.8 x 1.4 inch
€1,800
Fragments of Memory: Echoes of Childhood
David Cintract
Sculpture - 43 x 53 x 5 cm Sculpture - 16.9 x 20.9 x 2 inch
€2,200
Large monoscillable #8
George Koutsouris
Sculpture - 24 x 11 x 11 cm Sculpture - 9.4 x 4.3 x 4.3 inch
€120
Carnaval de la Nostalgie
David Cintract
Sculpture - 48 x 40 x 8 cm Sculpture - 18.9 x 15.7 x 3.1 inch
€1,300
Around the axis - horizontal
Rimantas Milkintas
Sculpture - 125 x 125 x 300 cm Sculpture - 49.2 x 49.2 x 118.1 inch
€10,000
Large monoscillable #4
George Koutsouris
Sculpture - 24 x 11 x 11 cm Sculpture - 9.4 x 4.3 x 4.3 inch
€120
Bluish (oscillable)
George Koutsouris
Sculpture - 30 x 14 x 14 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 5.5 x 5.5 inch
€240
Femme araignée
Arisztid Szendy
Sculpture - 59 x 39 x 22 cm Sculpture - 23.2 x 15.4 x 8.7 inch
€4,500
Music Composition No.4
George Koutsouris
Sculpture - 75 x 100 x 7.5 cm Sculpture - 29.5 x 39.4 x 3 inch
€5,000
Nature morte à l'oiseau
Stephanie Larène
Sculpture - 58 x 64 x 23 cm Sculpture - 22.8 x 25.2 x 9.1 inch
€4,000
Dutch boy with a hat
Franz Hagenauer
Sculpture - 14 x 6.9 x 6.9 cm Sculpture - 5.5 x 2.7 x 2.7 inch
€1,600
The shadow of Orpheus looks back at Eurydice, the gods can no longer punish him
Stefanoiu Vasile
Sculpture - 77 x 50 x 10 cm Sculpture - 30.3 x 19.7 x 3.9 inch
€5,000
The flight wing
Stefanoiu Vasile
Sculpture - 70 x 37 x 28 cm Sculpture - 27.6 x 14.6 x 11 inch
€1,500
But A Dream That's Getting Cold (2)
Tom Bull
Sculpture - 50 x 25 x 25 cm Sculpture - 19.7 x 9.8 x 9.8 inch
€2,500
But A Dream That's Getting Cold (1)
Tom Bull
Sculpture - 50 x 25 x 25 cm Sculpture - 19.7 x 9.8 x 9.8 inch
€2,500
Deep inside, deep outside
Gaël Rouxeville
Sculpture - 71 x 55 x 27 cm Sculpture - 28 x 21.7 x 10.6 inch
€3,500
Music Composition No.3
George Koutsouris
Sculpture - 75 x 100 x 7.5 cm Sculpture - 29.5 x 39.4 x 3 inch
€6,000
Music Composition No.2
George Koutsouris
Sculpture - 85 x 85 x 7.5 cm Sculpture - 33.5 x 33.5 x 3 inch
€6,000
Music Composition No.1
George Koutsouris
Sculpture - 85 x 85 x 7.5 cm Sculpture - 33.5 x 33.5 x 3 inch
€6,000
Thu, Get The Look!
Romain Mader
Sculpture - 34 x 27 x 8 cm Sculpture - 13.4 x 10.6 x 3.1 inch
€3,900
Le carré Victoria (beige)
Steddy John
Sculpture - 25 x 25 x 6 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 9.8 x 2.4 inch
€150
Visitor IV
Mindaugas Navakas
Sculpture - 146 x 34 x 37 cm Sculpture - 57.5 x 13.4 x 14.6 inch
€3,800
The allegory of power
Stefanoiu Vasile
Sculpture - 125 x 33 x 50 cm Sculpture - 49.2 x 13 x 19.7 inch
€4,000
Pandemic memories
Stefanoiu Vasile
Sculpture - 145 x 52 x 26 cm Sculpture - 57.1 x 20.5 x 10.2 inch
€4,000
Le carré Victoria (gris)
Steddy John
Sculpture - 25 x 25 x 6 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 9.8 x 2.4 inch
€150
LE CARRÉ VICTORIA (blanc)
Steddy John
Sculpture - 25 x 25 x 6 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 9.8 x 2.4 inch
€150
Blue Morpho - Flexible Rigids
Hugo G. Urrutia
Sculpture - 86 x 137 x 12 cm Sculpture - 33.9 x 53.9 x 4.7 inch
€11,000
Chevauchée fantastique
Lutfi Romhein
Sculpture - 69 x 23 x 13 cm Sculpture - 27.2 x 9.1 x 5.1 inch
€5,625
The Queen of Africa
Mosoti Kepha
Sculpture - 183 x 60 x 28 cm Sculpture - 72 x 23.6 x 11 inch
€4,950
Reclining figure
Pencho Dobrev
Sculpture - 45 x 26 x 12 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 10.2 x 4.7 inch
€4,400
Discover the styles & movements
Discover the selection of our experts
Nailed it Series No.81
Sumit Mehndiratta
Sculpture - 84 x 84 x 4 cm Sculpture - 33.1 x 33.1 x 1.6 inch
€1,000
Permeable Existence No.9
Mike Sasaki
Sculpture - 19 x 27.5 x 7.5 cm Sculpture - 7.5 x 10.8 x 3 inch
€1,775
Inspiration-expiration
Christian Michaud
Sculpture - 36.8 x 61 x 2.5 cm Sculpture - 14.5 x 24 x 1 inch
€751
Breeze - Arm Chair
Poonam Choudhary
Design - 73.7 x 65 x 82 cm Design - 29 x 25.6 x 32.3 inch
€2,279
Tactile memory #138
Natasha Zupan
Painting - 69.9 x 59.9 x 7.6 cm Painting - 27.5 x 23.6 x 3 inch
€6,198
Les yeux dans les tiens, souris #3
Jéko
Sculpture - 68.5 x 23 x 4 cm Sculpture - 27 x 9.1 x 1.6 inch
€2,600
Need help with Wood Sculpture ?
What is the difference between wood carving and sculpture?
Wood carving refers to a process where material is taken away from a block of wood using a tool like a knife, whereas the term "sculpture" refers to any work of three-dimensional art. Sculptures can be produced using a variety of techniques.
Who is the most famous wood carver?
One of the most famous sculptors that has worked with wood carving is Barbara Hepworth. Her work explores themes such as the contrast between the solid and the void, and the relationship between people and nature.
What is the most popular wood sculpture?
Some of the most famous wood sculptures are those of American artist Ben Butler, such as his abstract large-scale work Unbounded, which he created in 2015. The work is comprised of over 10,000 poplar sticks.