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
Kasia Kay
Human Race, Only
Kasia Kay
Sculpture - 360 x 3.8 x 3.8 cm Sculpture - 141.7 x 1.5 x 1.5 inch
€15,990
Tran Van An
Desa Vlahutin
The Path of the Squares
Desa Vlahutin
Sculpture - 50 x 40 x 20 cm Sculpture - 19.7 x 15.7 x 7.9 inch
€4,024
Fibonacci Fragment I
Desa Vlahutin
Sculpture - 78 x 72 x 31 cm Sculpture - 30.7 x 28.3 x 12.2 inch
€8,283
Fibonacci Fragment II
Desa Vlahutin
Sculpture - 101 x 40 x 40 cm Sculpture - 39.8 x 15.7 x 15.7 inch
€8,473
Fibonacci Fragment V
Desa Vlahutin
Sculpture - 78 x 75 x 19 cm Sculpture - 30.7 x 29.5 x 7.5 inch
€8,703
Fibonacci Fragment VII
Desa Vlahutin
Sculpture - 31 x 82 x 26 cm Sculpture - 12.2 x 32.3 x 10.2 inch
€8,636
Rina Murao
Balcony-the Hatch
Rina Murao
Sculpture - 228 x 456 x 127 cm Sculpture - 89.8 x 179.5 x 50 inch
€4,963
Table of Squares, III
Rina Murao
Sculpture - 25 x 42 x 42 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 16.5 x 16.5 inch
€9,396
Table of Squares, I
Rina Murao
Sculpture - 102 x 102 x 270 cm Sculpture - 40.2 x 40.2 x 106.3 inch
€45,735
The Sea at Dawn
Rina Murao
Sculpture - 150 x 253 x 253 cm Sculpture - 59.1 x 99.6 x 99.6 inch
€60,764
See to the Sea
Rina Murao
Sculpture - 115 x 405 x 170 cm Sculpture - 45.3 x 159.4 x 66.9 inch
€38,222
Balcony in the Rain
Rina Murao
Sculpture - 160 x 320 x 88 cm Sculpture - 63 x 126 x 34.6 inch
€3,385
Anna Celie Nastasia Meyer
White Top 38, Red Bottom 12, Red Dot
Anna Celie Nastasia Meyer
Sculpture - 51 x 20 x 19 cm Sculpture - 20.1 x 7.9 x 7.5 inch
€5,370
White Top 41, Black Bottom 21
Anna Celie Nastasia Meyer
Sculpture - 67 x 61 x 15 cm Sculpture - 26.4 x 24 x 5.9 inch
€5,530
Black Top 15
Anna Celie Nastasia Meyer
Sculpture - 21 x 17 x 15 cm Sculpture - 8.3 x 6.7 x 5.9 inch
€1,930
Black Top 16
Anna Celie Nastasia Meyer
Sculpture - 36 x 18 x 13 cm Sculpture - 14.2 x 7.1 x 5.1 inch
€3,450
Black Bottom 21, Red Bottom 10, White Half Dot
Anna Celie Nastasia Meyer
Sculpture - 51 x 27 x 22 cm Sculpture - 20.1 x 10.6 x 8.7 inch
€4,730
White Top 39, Black Bottom 21
Anna Celie Nastasia Meyer
Sculpture - 56 x 16 x 15 cm Sculpture - 22 x 6.3 x 5.9 inch
€4,490
White Top 37
Anna Celie Nastasia Meyer
Sculpture - 23 x 16 x 11 cm Sculpture - 9.1 x 6.3 x 4.3 inch
€2,330
White Top 40, Red Bottom 12
Anna Celie Nastasia Meyer
Sculpture - 63 x 20 x 19 cm Sculpture - 24.8 x 7.9 x 7.5 inch
€5,130
Miguel Amate
La coz y el martillo
Miguel Amate
Painting - 92 x 73 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36.2 x 28.7 x 1 inch
€12,520
Violaine Boisivon
Clown triste
Violaine Boisivon
Sculpture - 16 x 42 x 39 cm Sculpture - 6.3 x 16.5 x 15.4 inch
€1,500
Femmes Siamoises
Violaine Boisivon
Sculpture - 26 x 20 x 16 cm Sculpture - 10.2 x 7.9 x 6.3 inch
€600
Foetus miroir
Violaine Boisivon
Sculpture - 25 x 30 x 19 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 11.8 x 7.5 inch
€1,600
Ange au Coeur qui Écoute
Violaine Boisivon
Sculpture - 24 x 17 x 18 cm Sculpture - 9.4 x 6.7 x 7.1 inch
€900
La maîtresse débordée
Violaine Boisivon
Sculpture - 30 x 20 x 25 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 7.9 x 9.8 inch
€1,400
Femme au Fardeau
Violaine Boisivon
Sculpture - 40 x 34 x 36 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 13.4 x 14.2 inch
€1,800
Homme Moqueur
Violaine Boisivon
Sculpture - 30 x 22 x 15 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 8.7 x 5.9 inch
€2,000
Attila Mata
White & Metal II
Attila Mata
Sculpture - 103 x 52 x 60 cm Sculpture - 40.6 x 20.5 x 23.6 inch
€11,850
SA Candela
Flying Dumbo red 1/8
SA Candela
Sculpture - 100 x 35 x 35 cm Sculpture - 39.4 x 13.8 x 13.8 inch
€6,000
Rob Sirignano
Andrej Jakab
Male Nr. 121701
Andrej Jakab
Sculpture - 48.5 x 27.5 x 9 cm Sculpture - 19.1 x 10.8 x 3.5 inch
€14,950
In net Nr. 102002
Andrej Jakab
Sculpture - 27 x 19 x 8.4 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 7.5 x 3.3 inch
€4,500
Universe Nr. 102006
Andrej Jakab
Sculpture - 8.4 x 29 x 12.7 cm Sculpture - 3.3 x 11.4 x 5 inch
€4,600
Annette Girke
Cowering Figure - Small
Annette Girke
Sculpture - 6 x 10 x 4 cm Sculpture - 2.4 x 3.9 x 1.6 inch
€1,370