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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The Mystery of Poseidon
Astian Rey
Sculpture - 68 x 38 x 15 cm Sculpture - 26.8 x 15 x 5.9 inch
$2,800
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
$2,223
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
$2,223
Bidon Suricates F9 Rouge
Mauro Corda
Sculpture - 132 x 45 x 45 cm Sculpture - 52 x 17.7 x 17.7 inch
$10,530
Crystal Smart Rabbit
Soren Lyris
Sculpture - 35 x 12 x 13 cm Sculpture - 13.8 x 4.7 x 5.1 inch
$2,992
Petit Ours Polaire
Bernard Rebaudet
Sculpture - 8 x 30 x 15 cm Sculpture - 3.1 x 11.8 x 5.9 inch
$5,265
Totem elephants cm 160 - ( sculpture, bronze )
Philippe Berry
Sculpture - 160 x 43 x 43 cm Sculpture - 63 x 16.9 x 16.9 inch
$30,420
Totem Elephants - ( sculpture, bronze )
Philippe Berry
Sculpture - 120 x 29 x 29 cm Sculpture - 47.2 x 11.4 x 11.4 inch
$16,380
Le Carrousel
Jean-Jacques Kugel
Sculpture - 80 x 40 x 16 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 15.7 x 6.3 inch
$5,616
Chien Bagarreur
Chantal Derderian-Christol
Sculpture - 50 x 40 x 35 cm Sculpture - 19.7 x 15.7 x 13.8 inch
$2,106
Eagle with a Snake
Katib Mamedov
Sculpture - 96 x 82 x 60 cm Sculpture - 37.8 x 32.3 x 23.6 inch
$12,000
Eléphants en équilibre cm 120
Philippe Berry
Sculpture - 120 x 30 x 30 cm Sculpture - 47.2 x 11.8 x 11.8 inch
$16,380
Totem elephants h cm 120
Philippe Berry
Sculpture - 120 x 33 x 33 cm Sculpture - 47.2 x 13 x 13 inch
$16,380
Petit faucon
Madeleine Van der Knoop
Sculpture - 27 x 46 x 27 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 18.1 x 10.6 inch
$4,563
Terrestrial Abduction
Dani Brogio
Sculpture - 57 x 45 x 45 cm Sculpture - 22.4 x 17.7 x 17.7 inch
$2,925
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
$1,404
Stroll / Balade
Sylvie Gaudissart
Sculpture - 40 x 32 x 26 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 12.6 x 10.2 inch
$6,903
Cheval volutes de métal
Jean Amiel
Sculpture - 100 x 70 x 70 cm Sculpture - 39.4 x 27.6 x 27.6 inch
$11,115
Ty poisson punk violet
Yannick Le Bloas
Sculpture - 11 x 11 x 7 cm Sculpture - 4.3 x 4.3 x 2.8 inch
$140
Moon - Little Visitor
Petra Dorst
Sculpture - 52 x 50 x 48 cm Sculpture - 20.5 x 19.7 x 18.9 inch
$14,508
Moon & Misty reading a book (Serie 1, mouse behind the book)
Petra Dorst
Sculpture - 46 x 40 x 40 cm Sculpture - 18.1 x 15.7 x 15.7 inch
$9,652
Mirror Polished Sitting Doberman 44cm
Andrew Kazantsev
Sculpture - 44 x 27 x 16 cm Sculpture - 17.3 x 10.6 x 6.3 inch
$4,387
Ballon Animals
Jeff Koons
Sculpture - 39.2 x 34.9 x 20.9 cm Sculpture - 15.4 x 13.7 x 8.2 inch
$40,950
Éléphant et son ballon rouge
Philippe Berry
Sculpture - 56 x 24 x 24 cm Sculpture - 22 x 9.4 x 9.4 inch
$9,945
Sweet-voiced Companions
Artyom Manukyan
Sculpture - 34 x 34 x 3 cm Sculpture - 13.4 x 13.4 x 1.2 inch
$480
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
$4,329
Sinosaurusopteryx Prima
Barry Davies
Sculpture - 31 x 19 x 2 cm Sculpture - 12.2 x 7.5 x 0.8 inch
$3,030
Les P'tits Canailloux - Glace à l'Orange
Arson
Sculpture - 24 x 25.5 x 10 cm Sculpture - 9.4 x 10 x 3.9 inch
$959
Abyssal Rise
Bill- William Larouche
Sculpture - 50.8 x 48.3 x 10.2 cm Sculpture - 20 x 19 x 4 inch
$2,140
Il peso del tempo sospeso / Elefante piccolo 8/8
Stefano Bombardieri
Sculpture - 47 x 25 x 25 cm Sculpture - 18.5 x 9.8 x 9.8 inch
$23,400
Il peso del tempo sospeso/ Elefante Mini PA 1/4
Stefano Bombardieri
Sculpture - 36 x 19 x 19 cm Sculpture - 14.2 x 7.5 x 7.5 inch
$15,210
Il peso del tempo sospeso/rhino piccolo 7/8
Stefano Bombardieri
Sculpture - 46 x 26 x 46 cm Sculpture - 18.1 x 10.2 x 18.1 inch
$25,740
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
$8,424
Madame Butterfly Sculpture
Yunior Marino
Sculpture - 149.9 x 129.8 x 39.9 cm Sculpture - 59 x 51.1 x 15.7 inch
$12,000
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
$597
Standing Wild Bear
Richard Orlinski
Sculpture - 80 x 52 x 58 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 20.5 x 22.8 inch
$91,259
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.