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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, Solo, Gaël Rouxeville

Solo

Gaël Rouxeville

Sculpture - 45 x 21 x 21 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 8.3 x 8.3 inch

$1,170

Sculpture, Mutations, Andrius Erminas

Mutations

Andrius Erminas

Sculpture - 25 x 40 x 18 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 15.7 x 7.1 inch

$1,170

Sculpture, Fish 2, Georgi Velikov

Fish 2

Georgi Velikov

Sculpture - 56 x 17 x 10 cm Sculpture - 22 x 6.7 x 3.9 inch

$2,691

Sculpture, Chameleon, Georgi Velikov

Chameleon

Georgi Velikov

Sculpture - 22 x 20 x 17 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 7.9 x 6.7 inch

$959

Sculpture, Metal Cat, Georgi Velikov

Metal Cat

Georgi Velikov

Sculpture - 44 x 27 x 25 cm Sculpture - 17.3 x 10.6 x 9.8 inch

$2,457

Sculpture, Copper Cat, Georgi Velikov

Copper Cat

Georgi Velikov

Sculpture - 60 x 40 x 15 cm Sculpture - 23.6 x 15.7 x 5.9 inch

$2,457

Sculpture, Cat Brown, Georgi Velikov

Cat Brown

Georgi Velikov

Sculpture - 94 x 40 x 20 cm Sculpture - 37 x 15.7 x 7.9 inch

$2,574

Sculpture, Bull, Georgi Velikov

Bull

Georgi Velikov

Sculpture - 37 x 36 x 30 cm Sculpture - 14.6 x 14.2 x 11.8 inch

$2,106

Sculpture, Cubic Bull, Rocwood

Cubic Bull

Rocwood

Sculpture - 60 x 100 x 40 cm Sculpture - 23.6 x 39.4 x 15.7 inch

$4,563

Sculpture, Harmless, Rocwood

Harmless

Rocwood

Sculpture - 100 x 120 x 45 cm Sculpture - 39.4 x 47.2 x 17.7 inch

$4,668

Sculpture, Own bird, Georgi Velikov

Own bird

Georgi Velikov

Sculpture - 35 x 30 x 22 cm Sculpture - 13.8 x 11.8 x 8.7 inch

$3,042

Sculpture, Taurus, Perrine Le Bars

Taurus

Perrine Le Bars

Sculpture - 59 x 53 x 45 cm Sculpture - 23.2 x 20.9 x 17.7 inch

$16,263

Sculpture, Eléphanteau, Valem

Eléphanteau

Valem

Sculpture - 22 x 34 x 28 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 13.4 x 11 inch

$4,914

Sculpture, Bull Charging, Rocwood

Bull Charging

Rocwood

Sculpture - 148 x 222 x 107 cm Sculpture - 58.3 x 87.4 x 42.1 inch

$10,413

Sculpture, Big bull, Rocwood

Big bull

Rocwood

Sculpture - 134 x 249 x 90 cm Sculpture - 52.8 x 98 x 35.4 inch

$9,243

Sculpture, Bad Mood, Sandrine Piani

Bad Mood

Sandrine Piani

Sculpture - 20 x 20 x 20 cm Sculpture - 7.9 x 7.9 x 7.9 inch

$5,265

Sculpture, Horse standing, Rocwood

Horse standing

Rocwood

Sculpture - 195 x 205 x 78 cm Sculpture - 76.8 x 80.7 x 30.7 inch

$9,243

Sculpture, Rearing Horse, Rocwood

Rearing Horse

Rocwood

Sculpture - 265 x 75 x 203 cm Sculpture - 104.3 x 29.5 x 79.9 inch

$10,413

Sculpture, Sleep, Stefanoiu Vasile

Sleep

Stefanoiu Vasile

Sculpture - 24 x 24 x 15 cm Sculpture - 9.4 x 9.4 x 5.9 inch

$5,265

Sculpture, Bear_B, L'Archange Di Roma

Bear_B

L'Archange Di Roma

Sculpture - 60 x 30 x 30 cm Sculpture - 23.6 x 11.8 x 11.8 inch

$1,185

Sculpture, L'arche ou crève, WD

L'arche ou crève

WD

Sculpture - 120 x 100 x 55 cm Sculpture - 47.2 x 39.4 x 21.7 inch

$4,680

Sculpture, Cock, Ara Alekyan

Cock

Ara Alekyan

Sculpture - 93 x 60 x 40 cm Sculpture - 36.6 x 23.6 x 15.7 inch

$18,720

Sculpture, Krab Shot, Baho

Krab Shot

Baho

Sculpture - 15.5 x 20.5 x 5 cm Sculpture - 6.1 x 8.1 x 2 inch

$304

Sculpture, Minotaur II, Erik Ebeling

Minotaur II

Erik Ebeling

Sculpture - 43 x 15 x 20 cm Sculpture - 16.9 x 5.9 x 7.9 inch

$2,600

Sculpture, N°214, Mario Dilitz

N°214

Mario Dilitz

Sculpture - 96 x 98 x 38 cm Sculpture - 37.8 x 38.6 x 15 inch

$43,290

Sculpture, Untitled, Guy Ghazanchyan

Untitled

Guy Ghazanchyan

Sculpture - 90 x 59 x 40 cm Sculpture - 35.4 x 23.2 x 15.7 inch

$8,892

Sculpture, Léda, Patrick Villas

Léda

Patrick Villas

Sculpture - 201 x 65 x 70 cm Sculpture - 79.1 x 25.6 x 27.6 inch

$76,049

Sculpture, Zen, Céline Parmentier

Zen

Céline Parmentier

Sculpture - 22 x 12 x 14.5 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 4.7 x 5.7 inch

$1,158

Sculpture, Shark People, Astian Rey

Shark People

Astian Rey

Sculpture - 57 x 20 x 10 cm Sculpture - 22.4 x 7.9 x 3.9 inch

$1,500

Sculpture, Freedom II, Oliver Tanay

Freedom II

Oliver Tanay

Sculpture - 80 x 60 x 15 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 23.6 x 5.9 inch

$3,827

Sculpture, Clarity I, Oliver Tanay

Clarity I

Oliver Tanay

Sculpture - 80 x 60 x 15 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 23.6 x 5.9 inch

$3,827

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Discover the styles & movements

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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

$758

Print, Paris verte, M.Chat

Paris verte

M.Chat

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

$409

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.