Sculptors
A sculptor is someone who creates sculptures. The broad term 'sculptor' does not only apply to artists, it can also be used in non-artistic contexts. For example, it may refer to someone working on a restoration site or creating replicas of existing sculptures. For a sculptor to also be defined as an artist, there needs to be a sense of artistic intention behind the objects they create. This person can be a professional or an amateur.
Sculpture is considered a major artistic discipline in the same way as painting. Some sculptors only work in the medium of sculpture while other artists have a multidisciplinary approach.
A sculptor seeks to create three-dimensional shapes out of one or several media. Sculptors can choose from a variety of materials for their sculptures. Some of the most frequently used media include stone (marble, granite etc), concrete, cement, wood and clay (which is used to create terracotta sculptures). Artists can also use metal to create sculptures, bronze has historically been the most commonly used but nowadays, sculptors can also choose aluminum or even steel.
Contemporary practices and technical developments have led to a growing diversity of materials being available for sculptors to use. Contemporary sculpture therefore uses a wider range of materials than modern sculpture did. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see artworks made of resin, glass or a combination of several different materials. Artists may also use new technologies such as 3D printers to help them create works.
Over the course of the history of sculpture, there have been a many different types of sculptures and artists have developed numerous techniques for creating three dimensional works.
In relief sculpture, the sculpted form stays attached to the background made of the same material. If the carving is shallow then the work is referred to as a bas-relief. If there is some undercutting and more of 50% of the depth is shown, the work is sculptured in high relief.
If a sculpture is described as in the round or free-standing, it means that the work is detached from the background, in the majority of cases this means that the viewer to walk around it and admire it from all angles.
A key basic distinction is sculpture is the contrast between modeling and carving. Modeling is an additive technique which creates forms by adding more material. This is more flexible for sculptors as they can generally add or subtract the material as they please, for example as they would when using clay. Carving is a subtractive method; the sculptor removes material from a solid block of material, for example wood or marble, to reveal the desired shape.
Some of the greatest artists in the history of sculpture include: Michelangelo, Antoine-Louis Barye, Rembrandt Bugatti, Camille Claudel, Auguste Rodin, Alberto Giacometti, Louise Bourgeois, Cesar, Arman, Anish Kapoor, Anselm Kiefer, Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kusama, Richard Orlinski and Christophe Charbonnel.
Discover the styles & movements
Pauline Couble
Cautès et Cautopatès
Pauline Couble
Sculpture - 49 x 30 x 12 cm Sculpture - 19.3 x 11.8 x 4.7 inch
£3,555
Vincent Olinet
ROUGE POMELO. First print of the red soap series. Remain 6 copies out of 10. By Vincent Olinet.
Vincent Olinet
Sculpture - 15 x 5 x 5 cm Sculpture - 5.9 x 2 x 2 inch
£98
Amedeo Modigliani
Portrait féminin (d'après)
Amedeo Modigliani
Print - 55 x 40 x 0.2 cm Print - 21.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
£1,066
Femme assise en chemise (d'après)
Amedeo Modigliani
Print - 49 x 31 x 0.2 cm Print - 19.3 x 12.2 x 0.1 inch
Sold
Tête de jeune femme (d'après Amedeo Modigliani)
Amedeo Modigliani
Sculpture - 54 x 21 x 21 cm Sculpture - 21.3 x 8.3 x 8.3 inch
Sold
Tête de jeune femme, ca.
Amedeo Modigliani
Sculpture - 47.5 x 21 x 21 cm Sculpture - 18.7 x 8.3 x 8.3 inch
Sold
Bernard Quentin
Homo (Séries des mutants)
Bernard Quentin
Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 49 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 19.3 x 0.2 inch
£3,555
Fauteuil Molécul’air Transparent
Bernard Quentin
Design - 60 x 150 x 112 cm Design - 23.6 x 59.1 x 44.1 inch
£711
Fauteuil Molécul’air Orange
Bernard Quentin
Design - 60 x 150 x 112 cm Design - 23.6 x 59.1 x 44.1 inch
£711
J'aime courir le matin
Bernard Quentin
Fine Art Drawings - 54 x 70.5 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 21.3 x 27.8 x 0.4 inch
£2,666
Qihui Huang
Compagnons 12
Qihui Huang
Sculpture - 43 x 40 x 40 cm Sculpture - 16.9 x 15.7 x 15.7 inch
£2,666 £2,400
Compagnons 5
Qihui Huang
Sculpture - 35 x 30 x 28 cm Sculpture - 13.8 x 11.8 x 11 inch
£2,222 £2,000
Marcelo Suaznabar
Creature XXVIII
Marcelo Suaznabar
Sculpture - 13 x 10 x 13 cm Sculpture - 5.1 x 3.9 x 5.1 inch
£1,511
Creature XXVII
Marcelo Suaznabar
Sculpture - 10 x 15 x 13 cm Sculpture - 3.9 x 5.9 x 5.1 inch
£1,511
Creature XXIX
Marcelo Suaznabar
Sculpture - 14 x 10 x 31 cm Sculpture - 5.5 x 3.9 x 12.2 inch
£1,693
Para todos el tiempo es frágil
Marcelo Suaznabar
Painting - 79 x 58 x 4 cm Painting - 31.1 x 22.8 x 1.6 inch
£2,777
Jack Jacquot
George Koutsouris
Vibrating coolness
George Koutsouris
Sculpture - 50 x 80 x 12 cm Sculpture - 19.7 x 31.5 x 4.7 inch
£1,155
Music Composition No.4
George Koutsouris
Sculpture - 75 x 100 x 7.5 cm Sculpture - 29.5 x 39.4 x 3 inch
£4,444
Music Composition No.3
George Koutsouris
Sculpture - 75 x 100 x 7.5 cm Sculpture - 29.5 x 39.4 x 3 inch
£5,332
Music Composition No.1
George Koutsouris
Sculpture - 85 x 85 x 7.5 cm Sculpture - 33.5 x 33.5 x 3 inch
£5,332
Music Composition No.2
George Koutsouris
Sculpture - 85 x 85 x 7.5 cm Sculpture - 33.5 x 33.5 x 3 inch
£5,332
Luck of communication
George Koutsouris
Painting - 50 x 70 x 2.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 1 inch
£889
Santiago Sierra
House in Mud
Santiago Sierra
Photography - 21 x 30 x 1.5 cm Photography - 8.3 x 11.8 x 0.6 inch
£4,444
Stephanie Godann
Chat l’Bête 2.3 #128
Stephanie Godann
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 40 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
£267
God Save The Cat
Stephanie Godann
Painting - 22 x 22 x 3 cm Painting - 8.7 x 8.7 x 1.2 inch
£222 £200
CJ Hendry
Craftsman (purple) from the Cheese edition series
CJ Hendry
Sculpture - 40.6 x 40.6 x 7.6 cm Sculpture - 16 x 16 x 3 inch
£7,381
Karl-Karol Chrobok
Man in the fields
Karl-Karol Chrobok
Painting - 49 x 64 x 0.4 cm Painting - 19.3 x 25.2 x 0.2 inch
£1,066
Cubist with three faces
Karl-Karol Chrobok
Sculpture - 22 x 14 x 11 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 5.5 x 4.3 inch
£2,311
Woman
Karl-Karol Chrobok
Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch
£711
An optimistic landscape
Karl-Karol Chrobok
Painting - 44 x 62.5 x 0.2 cm Painting - 17.3 x 24.6 x 0.1 inch
£622
Skull - perhaps death
Karl-Karol Chrobok
Painting - 70 x 50 x 0.3 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
£533
Captured demon
Karl-Karol Chrobok
Painting - 60 x 80 x 0.3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.1 inch
£1,066