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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, Chanoir x Froot, Chanoir

Chanoir x Froot

Chanoir

Sculpture - 30 x 21 x 6 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 8.3 x 2.4 inch

$1,638

Sculpture, Kongo, Michel Duclos

Kongo

Michel Duclos

Sculpture - 42 x 31 x 18 cm Sculpture - 16.5 x 12.2 x 7.1 inch

$2,223

Sculpture, Contours, Stratos

Contours

Stratos

Sculpture - 173 x 80 x 3 cm Sculpture - 68.1 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch

$6,201

Sculpture, Jeux cavaliers, Raâk

Jeux cavaliers

Raâk

Sculpture - 25 x 25 x 16 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 9.8 x 6.3 inch

$1,404

Sculpture, Petit Speedy, Lolek

Petit Speedy

Lolek

Sculpture - 16 x 6 x 32 cm Sculpture - 6.3 x 2.4 x 12.6 inch

$2,211

Sculpture, Cha'tourbillonne, Lolek

Cha'tourbillonne

Lolek

Sculpture - 27 x 9 x 20 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 3.5 x 7.9 inch

$2,211

Sculpture, Zig zag, Stratos

Zig zag

Stratos

Sculpture - 95 x 70 x 3 cm Sculpture - 37.4 x 27.6 x 1.2 inch

$3,978

Sculpture, Magic cloud, David Gerstein

Magic cloud

David Gerstein

Sculpture - 120 x 187 x 10 cm Sculpture - 47.2 x 73.6 x 3.9 inch

$14,332

Sculpture, White Chicken, Viktor Zuk

White Chicken

Viktor Zuk

Sculpture - 11 x 9 x 8 cm Sculpture - 4.3 x 3.5 x 3.1 inch

$304

Sculpture, Funny & Sweet, Viktor Zuk

Funny & Sweet

Viktor Zuk

Sculpture - 18 x 11 x 11 cm Sculpture - 7.1 x 4.3 x 4.3 inch

$421

Sculpture, Spiteful, Sagrasse

Spiteful

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 37 x 16 x 33 cm Sculpture - 14.6 x 6.3 x 13 inch

$679

Sculpture, The family, Sophie Verger

The family

Sophie Verger

Sculpture - 22 x 31 x 19 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 12.2 x 7.5 inch

$4,563

Sculpture, Boba Fett, Benjamin Pietri

Boba Fett

Benjamin Pietri

Sculpture - 26 x 19.5 x 5.5 cm Sculpture - 10.2 x 7.7 x 2.2 inch

$936

Sculpture, Élever, Sophie Barut

Élever

Sophie Barut

Sculpture - 20 x 21 x 16 cm Sculpture - 7.9 x 8.3 x 6.3 inch

$2,574

Sculpture, Bouquetin, Julien Cuny

Bouquetin

Julien Cuny

Sculpture - 40 x 30 x 25 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 11.8 x 9.8 inch

$994

Sculpture, Chanel doggy, James Chiew

Chanel doggy

James Chiew

Sculpture - 35 x 62 x 39 cm Sculpture - 13.8 x 24.4 x 15.4 inch

$2,632

Sculpture, Panther, Richard Orlinski

Panther

Richard Orlinski

Sculpture - 38 x 80 x 17 cm Sculpture - 15 x 31.5 x 6.7 inch

$14,686

Sculpture, Piaf Rouge, Valerie Marty

Piaf Rouge

Valerie Marty

Sculpture - 17 x 12 x 12 cm Sculpture - 6.7 x 4.7 x 4.7 inch

$339

Sculpture, Poisson blanc, Edith BK

Poisson blanc

Edith BK

Sculpture - 13 x 11 x 3 cm Sculpture - 5.1 x 4.3 x 1.2 inch

$760

Sculpture, Boss Tiger, Yaniv Edery

Boss Tiger

Yaniv Edery

Sculpture - 70 x 70 x 60 cm Sculpture - 27.6 x 27.6 x 23.6 inch

$81,314

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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.