Sculptors
A sculptor is someone who creates sculptures. The broad term 'sculptor' does not only apply to artists, it can also be used in non-artistic contexts. For example, it may refer to someone working on a restoration site or creating replicas of existing sculptures. For a sculptor to also be defined as an artist, there needs to be a sense of artistic intention behind the objects they create. This person can be a professional or an amateur.
Sculpture is considered a major artistic discipline in the same way as painting. Some sculptors only work in the medium of sculpture while other artists have a multidisciplinary approach.
A sculptor seeks to create three-dimensional shapes out of one or several media. Sculptors can choose from a variety of materials for their sculptures. Some of the most frequently used media include stone (marble, granite etc), concrete, cement, wood and clay (which is used to create terracotta sculptures). Artists can also use metal to create sculptures, bronze has historically been the most commonly used but nowadays, sculptors can also choose aluminum or even steel.
Contemporary practices and technical developments have led to a growing diversity of materials being available for sculptors to use. Contemporary sculpture therefore uses a wider range of materials than modern sculpture did. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see artworks made of resin, glass or a combination of several different materials. Artists may also use new technologies such as 3D printers to help them create works.
Over the course of the history of sculpture, there have been a many different types of sculptures and artists have developed numerous techniques for creating three dimensional works.
In relief sculpture, the sculpted form stays attached to the background made of the same material. If the carving is shallow then the work is referred to as a bas-relief. If there is some undercutting and more of 50% of the depth is shown, the work is sculptured in high relief.
If a sculpture is described as in the round or free-standing, it means that the work is detached from the background, in the majority of cases this means that the viewer to walk around it and admire it from all angles.
A key basic distinction is sculpture is the contrast between modeling and carving. Modeling is an additive technique which creates forms by adding more material. This is more flexible for sculptors as they can generally add or subtract the material as they please, for example as they would when using clay. Carving is a subtractive method; the sculptor removes material from a solid block of material, for example wood or marble, to reveal the desired shape.
Some of the greatest artists in the history of sculpture include: Michelangelo, Antoine-Louis Barye, Rembrandt Bugatti, Camille Claudel, Auguste Rodin, Alberto Giacometti, Louise Bourgeois, Cesar, Arman, Anish Kapoor, Anselm Kiefer, Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kusama, Richard Orlinski and Christophe Charbonnel.
Discover the styles & movements
Isis Bi-M
Brigitte Dravet
L'éclaircie après la tempête
Brigitte Dravet
Painting - 80 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
€4,000
Palazzo Ca’ d’Oro
Brigitte Dravet
Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
€3,400
SmaK-titi
Street art le lundi au soleil-3
SmaK-titi
Painting - 120 x 49 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 19.3 x 0.8 inch
€1,100
Emmanuel Okoro
Roots of a nation
Emmanuel Okoro
Sculpture - 46 x 20 x 20 cm Sculpture - 18.1 x 7.9 x 7.9 inch
€3,152
Uplifted - Bronze Resin
Emmanuel Okoro
Sculpture - 210 x 20 x 20 cm Sculpture - 82.7 x 7.9 x 7.9 inch
€4,607
Reclining Dancer
Emmanuel Okoro
Sculpture - 150 x 170 x 100 cm Sculpture - 59.1 x 66.9 x 39.4 inch
€14,549
Nina Narimanishvili
Exhibition 2/2
Nina Narimanishvili
Painting - 55 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 21.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€1,400
She Lay in a Meadow 1/2
Nina Narimanishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 19 x 25 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.5 x 9.8 x 0 inch
€1,100
She Lay in a Meadow 2/2
Nina Narimanishvili
Painting - 19 x 25 x 0.1 cm Painting - 7.5 x 9.8 x 0 inch
€1,100
Country Man
Nina Narimanishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 28 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.7 x 11 x 0 inch
€370
Alleviation
Nina Narimanishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.8 x 0 inch
€500
Little Clown
Nina Narimanishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 11.8 x 0 inch
€400
Theo Mackaay
Vikenti Komitski
Feel Free to Fall
Vikenti Komitski
Fine Art Drawings - 47 x 35 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 18.5 x 13.8 x 0 inch
€1,150
Always Here, Never There
Vikenti Komitski
Print - 40 x 30 x 1 cm Print - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
€830
Casserole with Kinder Surprise
Vikenti Komitski
Sculpture - 34 x 30 x 20 cm Sculpture - 13.4 x 11.8 x 7.9 inch
€3,300
Breath to Breath Connected from Blue Drawings
Vikenti Komitski
Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 40.5 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 15.9 x 0 inch
€1,150
John Petrey
Deer (Sculpture Using Found Objects)
John Petrey
Sculpture - 210.8 x 68.6 x 55.9 cm Sculpture - 83 x 27 x 22 inch
€55,621
'Camile' Mixed Media Sculpture of Woman's Dress
John Petrey
Sculpture - 68.6 x 38.1 x 38.1 cm Sculpture - 27 x 15 x 15 inch
€6,663
'Karina' Mixed Media Sculpture of Woman's Dress
John Petrey
Sculpture - 68.6 x 40.6 x 40.6 cm Sculpture - 27 x 16 x 16 inch
€7,049
Harper Mixed Media
John Petrey
Sculpture - 68.6 x 38.1 x 38.1 cm Sculpture - 27 x 15 x 15 inch
€6,663
Merida Mixed Media
John Petrey
Sculpture - 160 x 111.8 x 101.6 cm Sculpture - 63 x 44 x 40 inch
€23,175
Natale Mixed Media Sculpture
John Petrey
Sculpture - 144.8 x 53.3 x 53.3 cm Sculpture - 57 x 21 x 21 inch
€11,105
Nora Mixed Media Sculpture
John Petrey
Sculpture - 152.4 x 61 x 61 cm Sculpture - 60 x 24 x 24 inch
€9,174
Michael Wallner
New York Traffic Light
Michael Wallner
Print - 91 x 68 x 0.03 cm Print - 35.8 x 26.8 x 0 inch
€1,152
Borough Station 1
Michael Wallner
Photography - 38 x 48 x 0.3 cm Photography - 15 x 18.9 x 0.1 inch
€600
Trafalgar Square From Above
Michael Wallner
Sculpture - 63 x 72 x 5 cm Sculpture - 24.8 x 28.3 x 2 inch
€2,667
Past Glories (Battersea Power Station)
Michael Wallner
Design - 72 x 120 x 12 cm Design - 28.3 x 47.2 x 4.7 inch
€6,668
Alessandro Piano
Alter Ego Oscar Water
Alessandro Piano
Sculpture - 25 x 16 x 8 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 6.3 x 3.1 inch
€500
Alter Ego Pinguibeach 584
Alessandro Piano
Sculpture - 25 x 16 x 8 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 6.3 x 3.1 inch
€900
Alter Ego Puppet 750
Alessandro Piano
Sculpture - 25 x 16 x 8 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 6.3 x 3.1 inch
€1,350
Alter Ego Oscar Black
Alessandro Piano
Sculpture - 25 x 16 x 8 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 6.3 x 3.1 inch
€500
Alter Ego Oscar IM
Alessandro Piano
Sculpture - 25 x 16 x 8 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 6.3 x 3.1 inch
€500
Alter Ego Oscar Red
Alessandro Piano
Sculpture - 25 x 16 x 8 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 6.3 x 3.1 inch
€500
Alter Ego Cavallino 471
Alessandro Piano
Sculpture - 25 x 16 x 8 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 6.3 x 3.1 inch
€900
Elizabeth Portnova
La vague et l'alyzée
Elizabeth Portnova
Sculpture - 41 x 19 x 13 cm Sculpture - 16.1 x 7.5 x 5.1 inch
€900
La scintillante
Elizabeth Portnova
Sculpture - 30 x 26 x 16 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 10.2 x 6.3 inch
€1,050
La vague et la bise
Elizabeth Portnova
Sculpture - 24 x 34 x 17 cm Sculpture - 9.4 x 13.4 x 6.7 inch
€850
Incrustration sentimentale 3
Elizabeth Portnova
Sculpture - 38 x 22 x 14 cm Sculpture - 15 x 8.7 x 5.5 inch
€1,400
La bête poétique
Elizabeth Portnova
Sculpture - 48 x 33 x 25 cm Sculpture - 18.9 x 13 x 9.8 inch
€2,500