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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Ours polaire assis (pm) 7/8
Isabelle Carabantes
Sculpture - 37 x 25 x 22 cm Sculpture - 14.6 x 9.8 x 8.7 inch
€7,200
Chat Persan
François Galoyer
Sculpture - 27.5 x 52 x 14 cm Sculpture - 10.8 x 20.5 x 5.5 inch
€9,500
Chien Bagarreur
Chantal Derderian-Christol
Sculpture - 50 x 40 x 35 cm Sculpture - 19.7 x 15.7 x 13.8 inch
€1,800
Eagle with a Snake
Katib Mamedov
Sculpture - 96 x 82 x 60 cm Sculpture - 37.8 x 32.3 x 23.6 inch
€10,922
2 Serpents 2 Niki 2 st phalle
Spaco
Sculpture - 25 x 18 x 6 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 7.1 x 2.4 inch
€250
Hibou Grand Duc
Jürgen Lingl
Sculpture - 168 x 60 x 40 cm Sculpture - 66.1 x 23.6 x 15.7 inch
€14,500
Le Cavalier d'Arson 60 cm Ivoire
Arson
Sculpture - 60 x 25 x 8 cm Sculpture - 23.6 x 9.8 x 3.1 inch
€1,900
Le Cavalier d'Arson 60 cm Effet bronze
Arson
Sculpture - 60 x 25 x 8 cm Sculpture - 23.6 x 9.8 x 3.1 inch
€1,900
Sterne qui plonge
Jean Lemonnier
Sculpture - 39 x 65 x 20 cm Sculpture - 15.4 x 25.6 x 7.9 inch
€4,800
Petit faucon
Madeleine Van der Knoop
Sculpture - 27 x 46 x 27 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 18.1 x 10.6 inch
€3,900
Terrestrial Abduction
Dani Brogio
Sculpture - 57 x 45 x 45 cm Sculpture - 22.4 x 17.7 x 17.7 inch
€2,500
Abyssal Rise
Bill- William Larouche
Sculpture - 50.8 x 48.3 x 10.2 cm Sculpture - 20 x 19 x 4 inch
€1,948
Series Snails whit French nails 1 - Silk, wire, plastic, paint, latex, wood and clay (1)
Lena Widmann
Sculpture - 6 x 25 x 6 cm Sculpture - 2.4 x 9.8 x 2.4 inch
€1,200
Chevaleresque
Thierry Benenati
Sculpture - 43 x 94 x 27 cm Sculpture - 16.9 x 37 x 10.6 inch
€27,500
Moon - Little Visitor
Petra Dorst
Sculpture - 52 x 50 x 48 cm Sculpture - 20.5 x 19.7 x 18.9 inch
€12,400
Totem elephants cm 160 - ( sculpture, bronze )
Philippe Berry
Sculpture - 160 x 43 x 43 cm Sculpture - 63 x 16.9 x 16.9 inch
€26,000
Totem Elephants - ( sculpture, bronze )
Philippe Berry
Sculpture - 120 x 29 x 29 cm Sculpture - 47.2 x 11.4 x 11.4 inch
€14,000
Le Carrousel
Jean-Jacques Kugel
Sculpture - 80 x 40 x 16 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 15.7 x 6.3 inch
€4,800
The Bird’s Song
Artyom Manukyan
Sculpture - 27 x 34 x 3 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 13.4 x 1.2 inch
€319 €255
Sweet-voiced Companions
Artyom Manukyan
Sculpture - 34 x 34 x 3 cm Sculpture - 13.4 x 13.4 x 1.2 inch
€437
L'oiseau qui rêve de Mer 2
Pauline Couble
Sculpture - 37 x 25 x 31 cm Sculpture - 14.6 x 9.8 x 12.2 inch
€3,700
Sinosaurusopteryx Prima
Barry Davies
Sculpture - 31 x 19 x 2 cm Sculpture - 12.2 x 7.5 x 0.8 inch
€1,782
Majestic Standing Horse
Arun A.
Sculpture - 218 x 66 x 256 cm Sculpture - 85.8 x 26 x 100.8 inch
€21,000
Eléphants en équilibre cm 120
Philippe Berry
Sculpture - 120 x 30 x 30 cm Sculpture - 47.2 x 11.8 x 11.8 inch
€14,000
Totem elephants h cm 120
Philippe Berry
Sculpture - 120 x 33 x 33 cm Sculpture - 47.2 x 13 x 13 inch
€14,000
Le Coq dans tous ses états. sm 714
Jean-Paul Boyer
Sculpture - 55 x 58 x 10 cm Sculpture - 21.7 x 22.8 x 3.9 inch
€1,300
Mr Chat orange
Benjamin Pietri
Sculpture - 100 x 50 x 6 cm Sculpture - 39.4 x 19.7 x 2.4 inch
€4,500
Ours Polaire Lanceur
François Rambaud
Sculpture - 40 x 18 x 18 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 7.1 x 7.1 inch
€450
Madame Butterfly Sculpture
Yunior Marino
Sculpture - 149.9 x 129.8 x 39.9 cm Sculpture - 59 x 51.1 x 15.7 inch
€10,922
Funny Pig-bottle stopper
Jaromir Gargulak
Sculpture - 5 x 4.5 x 3 cm Sculpture - 2 x 1.8 x 1.2 inch
€229
Toro mosaïque dominante bleu
Jean Amiel
Sculpture - 75 x 70 x 70 cm Sculpture - 29.5 x 27.6 x 27.6 inch
€4,800
The instant crush
Stephanie Godann
Sculpture - 27.5 x 27.5 x 4 cm Sculpture - 10.8 x 10.8 x 1.6 inch
€550
Discover the styles & movements
Discover the selection of our experts
Kong Christmas 2024 Gold edition
Richard Orlinski
Design - 19 x 13.5 x 7 cm Design - 7.5 x 5.3 x 2.8 inch
€510
Standing Wild Bear
Richard Orlinski
Sculpture - 80 x 52 x 58 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 20.5 x 22.8 inch
€78,000
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.