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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, Keith Dog Haring, PyB

Keith Dog Haring

PyB

Sculpture - 15 x 24 x 3 cm Sculpture - 5.9 x 9.4 x 1.2 inch

$292

Sculpture, Dog haring basquiat, PyB

Dog haring basquiat

PyB

Sculpture - 17 x 25 x 6 cm Sculpture - 6.7 x 9.8 x 2.4 inch

$292

Sculpture, Split Panther, Arun A.

Split Panther

Arun A.

Sculpture - 13 x 40 x 7.5 cm Sculpture - 5.1 x 15.7 x 3 inch

$1,228

Sculpture, La méduse, Philippe Rude

La méduse

Philippe Rude

Sculpture - 33 x 25 x 5 cm Sculpture - 13 x 9.8 x 2 inch

$2,200

Sculpture, La hase, Pierre Voituriez

La hase

Pierre Voituriez

Sculpture - 39 x 60 x 39 cm Sculpture - 15.4 x 23.6 x 15.4 inch

$9,594

Sculpture, Dog dance, Spaco

Dog dance

Spaco

Sculpture - 21 x 19 x 3 cm Sculpture - 8.3 x 7.5 x 1.2 inch

$281

Sculpture, Dauphin, Christiane Guerry

Dauphin

Christiane Guerry

Sculpture - 50 x 64 x 28 cm Sculpture - 19.7 x 25.2 x 11 inch

$1,498

Sculpture, Elephant, Yves Lohé

Elephant

Yves Lohé

Sculpture - 32 x 20 x 10 cm Sculpture - 12.6 x 7.9 x 3.9 inch

$1,053

Sculpture, Condor, Jean-No

Condor

Jean-No

Sculpture - 40 x 93 x 50 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 36.6 x 19.7 inch

$11,700

Sculpture, Lamb, Barry Davies

Lamb

Barry Davies

Sculpture - 20 x 36 x 23 cm Sculpture - 7.9 x 14.2 x 9.1 inch

$5,316

Sculpture, Alliance, Etienne

Alliance

Etienne

Sculpture - 105 x 98 x 8 cm Sculpture - 41.3 x 38.6 x 3.1 inch

$70,200

Sculpture, Yür, Saône De Stalh

Yür

Saône De Stalh

Sculpture - 38 x 33 x 12 cm Sculpture - 15 x 13 x 4.7 inch

$1,872

Sculpture, Naë, Saône De Stalh

Naë

Saône De Stalh

Sculpture - 33 x 37 x 11 cm Sculpture - 13 x 14.6 x 4.3 inch

$1,872

Sculpture, Koko, Valerian Sioridzé

Koko

Valerian Sioridzé

Sculpture - 20 x 17 x 11 cm Sculpture - 7.9 x 6.7 x 4.3 inch

$2,398

Sculpture, Centaur, Nona Gabrielyan

Centaur

Nona Gabrielyan

Sculpture - 16 x 16 x 8 cm Sculpture - 6.3 x 6.3 x 3.1 inch

$1,053

Sculpture, La Louve, Réjane LeChat

La Louve

Réjane LeChat

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

$32,760

Sculpture, Cheval, Richard Pommier

Cheval

Richard Pommier

Sculpture - 27 x 24 x 8.5 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 9.4 x 3.3 inch

$526

Sculpture, La mue du Papillon, Looki

La mue du Papillon

Looki

Sculpture - 25 x 15 x 10 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 5.9 x 3.9 inch

$409

Sculpture, Agape, Catherine Clare

Agape

Catherine Clare

Sculpture - 26 x 11 x 8 cm Sculpture - 10.2 x 4.3 x 3.1 inch

$1,053

Sculpture, Bouquetin, Pierre Yermia

Bouquetin

Pierre Yermia

Sculpture - 62 x 37 x 16 cm Sculpture - 24.4 x 14.6 x 6.3 inch

$8,424

Sculpture, Cerf II, Pierre Yermia

Cerf II

Pierre Yermia

Sculpture - 83 x 39 x 24 cm Sculpture - 32.7 x 15.4 x 9.4 inch

$7,722

Sculpture, Gazelle VII, Pierre Yermia

Gazelle VII

Pierre Yermia

Sculpture - 68 x 35 x 20 cm Sculpture - 26.8 x 13.8 x 7.9 inch

$6,318

Sculpture, Félin VI, Pierre Yermia

Félin VI

Pierre Yermia

Sculpture - 29 x 83 x 15 cm Sculpture - 11.4 x 32.7 x 5.9 inch

$9,711

Sculpture, Gazelle VI, Pierre Yermia

Gazelle VI

Pierre Yermia

Sculpture - 55 x 52 x 21 cm Sculpture - 21.7 x 20.5 x 8.3 inch

$6,318

Sculpture, Red taurus, Theo Mackaay

Red taurus

Theo Mackaay

Sculpture - 35 x 18 x 60 cm Sculpture - 13.8 x 7.1 x 23.6 inch

$5,265

Sculpture, Aquarium, Martine Dégot

Aquarium

Martine Dégot

Sculpture - 80 x 65 x 15 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 25.6 x 5.9 inch

$819

Sculpture, Hippo, Olivia Moélo

Hippo

Olivia Moélo

Sculpture - 300 x 120 x 51 cm Sculpture - 118.1 x 47.2 x 20.1 inch

$111,149

Sculpture, Taureau de Laguiole, PyB

Taureau de Laguiole

PyB

Sculpture - 20 x 29 x 3 cm Sculpture - 7.9 x 11.4 x 1.2 inch

$211

Sculpture, Rat Che Banksy, PyB

Rat Che Banksy

PyB

Sculpture - 25 x 24 x 6 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 9.4 x 2.4 inch

$292

Sculpture, Elephant, Arun A.

Elephant

Arun A.

Sculpture - 54 x 31.5 x 34.5 cm Sculpture - 21.3 x 12.4 x 13.6 inch

$1,404

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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 ?
What is the most famous animal sculpture?

Some of the most famous animal sculptures in the world are Charging Bull by Arturo di Modica, The Last Three by Gillie and Marc Schattner, and Lions by Edward Kemeys. 

Who is the most famous animal sculptor?

The most famous sculptors who produced animal sculptures include Edward Kemeys, who is credited as being the first animal sculptor (animalier) in America, and Antoine-Louis Barye, a French Romantic sculptor who lived during the late 18th and 19th centuries.

What is Jeff Koons rabbit made of?

Jeff Koons' Rabbit series consists of three stainless steel animal sculptures.