Skip to main content

Robert Holmes Art

American, 1927-2016

In addition to being one of America’s leading civil engineers, Robert Holmes gained considerable acclaim as a self-taught sculptor. His abstract and contemporary bronzes convey strength, grace, optimism and serenity and are reminiscent of the works of Auguste Rodin, Constantin Brâncuși, Gaston Lachaise and Henry Moore.

Holmes was born in 1927 in Missouri, where he grew up amid the Great Depression. He had an instinctive talent for design and, in his teens, helped his father build houses. Holmes later attended the University of Arizona, earning a degree in civil engineering.

In the early 1950s, Holmes moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he established the Robert Holmes Construction, Design and Development Company. He specialized in designing contemporary homes in the Bay Area before he relocated the business to Arizona in 1958.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Holmes was among Arizona’s most successful luxury home builders. His company also designed and built churches, banks, bridges, apartments and manufacturing plants. 

In 1981, Holmes decided to pursue a second career as a sculptor and sold his business. With his wife, Edith, he moved to the Sea Ranch, a community located north of San Francisco. Over the next several years, Holmes worked with local foundries to create his sculptures but was dissatisfied with the process. In 1989, he formed his own bronze foundry — Bronze Plus — enabling him to oversee all aspects of production and forge relationships with other bronze artists. 

Holmes’s abstract and figurative sculptures garnered attention from art critics and gallery owners across the United States. His semi-abstract and curvilinear works range from table-sized miniatures such as Pas De Tres and Dancers on Toe to large-scale monumental sculptures like The Game and Bull and Ball.

Holmes’s works have been exhibited extensively in the United States, Europe and Asia. His sculptures are in private, corporate and public collections, such as the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts, the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California, and the Hyatt Regency in San Diego. He died in 2016.

On 1stDibs, discover Robert Holmes’s dynamic sculptures.

to
8
7
1
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
4
3
2
1
1
1
3
5
1
9
6,863
3,204
2,516
1,217
8
8
2
Artist: Robert Holmes
Arched Dancers 2 (Miniature) #11/40
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Solo (miniature)
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Reverse (miniature) - 24 Karat Gold plated
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Gold, Bronze

Arabesque (miniature) - 24 Karat Gold plated
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Gold, Bronze

Tossa De Mar
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
Bronze A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-kno...
Category

2010s Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Circlet Miniature
By Robert Holmes
Located in Glen Ellen, CA
This bronze miniature sculpture has a unique patina that fades from a golden bronze to a vibrant metallic green. The Artist's Proof in a planned edition of 40, it is signed "Robert H...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Reclining 1
By Robert Holmes
Located in Glen Ellen, CA
This cast bronze figurative sculpture is the Artist's Proof in an Edition of 12 plus 1 Artist's Proof. Robert Holmes has been exhibiting sculptures over the past thirty-five year...
Category

1980s Contemporary Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Kneeling
By Robert Holmes
Located in Glen Ellen, CA
Edition 3 of 12, signed "R Holmes 3/12" on back edge of kneeling figure, and "Kneeling 3/12" on underside of base. Robert Holmes's sculpture has been exhibited over the past thirt...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Related Items
Kinetic Bronze Sculpture "Vortice Energia", by Gianfranco Meggiato
By Gianfranco Meggiato
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Kinetic Bronze Sculpture by Gianfranco Meggiato. In his work, Meggiato gets inspiration from the most mysterious city on Earth, city where he was born, lives and works - Venice. Spa...
Category

2010s Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze, Gold Leaf

Pair of Elegant Brass Sculptures of Greyhound Dogs
Located in Rome, IT
Fine pair of gilt bronze Greyhound dog sculptures. The item will be well-suited to either an indoor or outdoor setting. Excellent condition.
Category

1990s Contemporary Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Dolce Vita B
By Pietrina Checcacci
Located in New Rochelle, NY
Pietrina Checcacci was born in Taranto, Italy. Currently, she lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Checcacci studied at the National School of Fine Arts from 1958 to 1964 and has won n...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Contemporary Ram's Head Bronze Sculpture Lost Wax Casting Technique Green Patina
Located in Firenze, IT
This contemporary solid bronze sculpture of a ram's head is inspired by the art of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece with a reference to neoclassicism. The artist is able to attribute ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Double Sided Gold Plated Medallion (Limited Edition; Signed and Stamped)
By Arnaldo Pomodoro
Located in New York, NY
ARNALDO POMODORO Double Sided Gold Plated Medallion, 1985 Bronze with Gold Patina 2 7/10 × 2 7/10 × 3/10 inches Limited Edition of 500 Signed by artist with incised signature; Stampe...
Category

1980s Abstract Geometric Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Gold, Bronze

Woman 2
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
Frank Arnold is thought by many to be one of the foremost abstract figurative painters and sculptors of our time. He is a living master whose work is considered to be both personal a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Vintage Abstract Expressionist Ibram Lassaw Modernist Bronze Sculpture Pendant
By Ibram Lassaw
Located in Surfside, FL
IBRAM LASSAW (Russian-American, 1913-2003), Sculptural pendant Gold plated bronze Signed verso Measurements: 2-7/8''h, 2-1/4''w. Ibram Lassaw was born in Alexandria, Egypt, of Russian Jewish émigré parents. After briefly living in Marseille, France, Naples, Italy Tunis, Malta, and Constantinople, Turkey his family settled in Brooklyn, New York, in 1921.His family settled in Brooklyn, New York. He became a US citizen in 1928. Ibram Lassaw, one of America's first abstract sculptors, was best known for his open-space welded sculptures of bronze, silver, copper and steel. Drawing from Surrealism, Constructivism, and Cubism, Lassaw pioneered an innovative welding technique that allowed him to create dynamic, intricate, and expressive works in three dimensions. As a result, he was a key force in shaping New York School sculpture.He first studied sculpture in 1926 at the Clay Club and later at the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design in New York. He made abstract paintings and drawings influenced by Kandinsky, Sophie Taeuber Arp, and other artists. He also attended the City College of New York. Lassaw’s encounter with avant-garde art in the International Exhibition of Modern Art (1926), organized by the Société Anonyme at the Brooklyn Museum, made a powerful impression on him. In the early 1930s he explored new materials and notions of open-space sculpture. The ideas of László Moholy-Nagy and Buckminster Fuller were important to him, and he knew the work of Julio González, Pablo Picasso, and the Russian Constructivists. After experimenting with plaster, rubber and wire, Lassaw began working with steel, which became a frequent medium for the artist, along with other metals. His work reflects the influence of Surrealist artists such as Alberto Giacometti and Joan Miro as well as American Modernist Alexander Calder.A pioneer of abstract sculpture in the United States, in 1936 Lassaw was a founding member of the organization American Abstract Artists. Between 1933 and 1942 he worked for various federal arts projects: the Public Works of Art Project, Civil Works Authority, and WPA, the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project. In 1938 he produced his first welded work. He served with the U.S. Army, where he learned direct welding techniques. During the 1940s he experimented with cage constructions and with acrylic plastics, adding color to his sculptures by applying dye directly to their surfaces. In 1949 Lassaw was a founder of the Club, an informal discussion group of avant-garde artists that had developed from gatherings at his studio, on Eighth Street. During the mid-1930s, Lassaw worked briefly for the Public Works of Art Project cleaning sculptural monuments around New York City. He subsequently joined the WPA as a teacher and sculptor until he was drafted into the army in 1942. Lassaw's contribution to the advancement of sculptural abstraction went beyond mere formal innovation; his promotion of modernist styles during the 1930s did much to insure the growth of abstract art in the United States. He was one of the founding members of the American Abstract Artists group, and served as president of the American Abstract Artists organization from 1946 to 1949. In 1951, Samuel Kootz invited Lassaw to join his gallery in New York. He also had a summer gallery in Provincetown, MA. Lassaw had been summering in Provincetown since 1944, and in 1951 rented an apartment next door to the Kootz Gallery. Among the artists in the Kootz Gallery were Jean Arp, William Baziotes, Georges Braque, Jean Dubuffet, Herbert Ferber, Arshile Gorky, Adolph Gottlieb, David Hare, Hans Hofmann, Fernand Leger, Georges Mathieu, Joan Miró, Robert Motherwell, Pablo Picasso, Pierre Soulages, and Maurice de Vlaminck. Lassaw is a sculptor who was a part of the New York School of Abstract expressionism during the 1940s and 1950s. Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, James Brooks, Willem de Kooning, and several other artists like Lassaw spent summers on the Southern Shore of Long Island. Lassaw spent summers on Long Island from 1955 until he moved there permanently in 1963. SELECT EXHIBITIONS 1961 International Exhibition of Modern Jewelry 1890–1961, organized by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London 1967 Exhibition of Jewelry by Painters and Sculptors, organized for circulation by MoMA 1973 Jewelry...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Gold, Bronze

Mother and Children bronze sculpture by Caroline Russell
By Caroline Russell
Located in London, GB
One of the first sculptures Caroline made after her second child was born. Her children and her often used to sit in this position when they were small. They both used to want to sit on her lap at the same time, so sat on one knee each. Caroline Russell...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Magnificent Italian Golden Kinetic Bronze Sculpture "Sera Sole"
By Gianfranco Meggiato
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Golden kinetic sculpture by Gianfranco Meggiato, bronze. In his work, Meggiato gets inspiration from the most mysterious city on Earth, city where he was born, lives and works - Ven...
Category

2010s Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze, Gold Leaf

Dança Aquatica
By Pietrina Checcacci
Located in New Rochelle, NY
"Aquatic Dance" is a larger version of Pietrina Checcacci's signature bronze legs. Pietrina Checcacci was born in Taranto, Italy. Currently, she lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Dança Aquatica
Dança Aquatica
H 13 in W 5.99 in D 5.12 in
Magnificent Italian Golden Kinetic Bronze Sculpture "Conosscenza"
By Gianfranco Meggiato
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Golden kinetic sculpture by Gianfranco Meggiato, bronze. In his work, Meggiato gets inspiration from the most mysterious city on Earth, city where he was born, lives and works - Ven...
Category

2010s Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze, Gold Leaf

Sage Mano
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
Frank Arnold is thought by many to be one of the foremost abstract figurative painters and sculptors of our time. He is a living master whose work is considered to be both personal a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Previously Available Items
Arched Dancers 2 (Small) AP
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Arabesque (miniature) #3/40
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Dancers (Miniature) Turquoise Patina #2/40
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Solo (miniature) - 24 Karat Gold plated
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze, Gold

Pas De Tres (miniature unique)
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Pas De Tres (miniature, unique)
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Just Dancing AP2 (Medium)
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Mr. G, Small - High Polish
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Banana, High Polish
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Banana, High Polish
H 1.5 in W 8.25 in D 2.25 in
Arched Dancers 2, Miniature, AP 2
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Solo, Small AP 1
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Solo, Small AP 1
H 26 in W 7 in D 6 in
Dancers on Toe AP 1
By Robert Holmes
Located in Napa, CA
A civil engineer for 30 years, Holmes has been exhibiting and selling his sculptures since 1975 in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He is now very well-known for h...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Robert Holmes Art

Materials

Bronze

Robert Holmes art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Robert Holmes art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Robert Holmes in bronze, metal, gold and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Robert Holmes art, so small editions measuring 4 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Glenn A. Green, Kayla Rumpp, and Camilo Andres Rodriguez Marquez. Robert Holmes art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $400 and tops out at $39,600, while the average work can sell for $2,000.

Artists Similar to Robert Holmes

Recently Viewed

View All