Figurine Figurative Sculptures

Waylande Gregory (American, 1905-1971) Polo Player, c. 1930s Ceramic Inscribed signature on bottom 11 x 8.5 inches Waylande Gregory was considered a major American sculptor during the 1930's, although he worked in ceramics, rather than in the more traditional bronze or marble. Exhibiting his ceramic works at such significant American venues for sculpture as the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City and at the venerable Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, he also showed his ceramic sculptures at leading New York City galleries. Gregory was the first modern ceramist to create large scale ceramic sculptures, some measuring more than 70 inches in height. Similar to the technique developed by the ancient Etruscans, he fired his monumental ceramic sculptures only once. Gregory was born in 1905 in Baxter Springs, Kansas and was something of a prodigy. Growing up on a ranch near a Cherokee reservation, Gregory first became interested in ceramics as a child during a native American burial that he had witnessed. He was also musically inclined. In fact, his mother had been a concert pianist and had given her son lessons. At eleven, he was enrolled as a student at the Kansas State Teacher's College, where he studied carpentry and crafts, including ceramics. Gregory's early development as a sculptor was shaped by the encouragement and instruction of Lorado Taft, who was considered both a major American sculptor as well as a leading American sculpture instructor. In fact, Taft's earlier students included such significant sculptors as Bessie Potter Vonnoh and Janet Scudder. But, Taft and his students had primarily worked in bronze or stone, not in clay; and, Gregory's earliest sculptural works were also not in ceramics. In 1924, Gregory moved to Chicago where he caught the attention of Taft. Gregory was invited by Taft to study with him privately for 18 months and to live and work with him at his famed "Midway Studios." The elegant studio was a complex of 13 rooms that overlooked a courtyard. Taft may have been responsible for getting the young man interested in creating large scale sculpture. However, by the 1920's, Taft's brand of academic sculpture was no longer considered progressive. Instead, Gregory was attracted to the latest trends appearing in the United States and Europe. In 1928 he visited Europe with Taft and other students. "Kid Gregory," as he was called, was soon hired by Guy Cowan, the founder of the Cowan Pottery in Cleveland, Ohio, to become the company's only full time employee. From 1928 to 1932, Gregory served as the chief designer and sculptor at the Cowan Pottery. Just as Gregory learned about the process of creating sculpture from Taft, he literally learned about ceramics from Cowan. Cowan was one of the first graduates of Alfred, the New York School of Clayworking and Ceramics. Alfred had one of the first programs in production pottery. Cowan may have known about pottery production, but he had limited sculptural skills, as he was lacking training in sculpture. The focus of the Cowan Pottery would be on limited edition, table top or mantle sculptures. Two of the most successful of these were Gregory's "Nautch Dancer," (fig. 1) and his "Burlesque Dancer," (fig. 2). He based both sculptures on the dancing of Gilda Gray, a Ziegfield Follies girl. Gilda Gray was of Polish origin and came to the United States as a child. By 1922, she would become one of the most popular stars in the Follies. After losing her assets in the stock market crash of 1929, she accepted other bookings outside of New York, including Cleveland, which was where Gregory first saw her onstage. She allowed Gregory to make sketches of her performances from the wings of the theatre. She explained to Gregory, "I'm too restless to pose." Gray became noted for her nautch dance, an East Indian folk dance. A nautch is a tight, fitted dress that would curl at the bottom and act like a hoop. This sculpture does not focus on Gray's face at all, but is more of a portrait of her nautch dance. It is very curvilinear, really made of a series of arches that connect in a most feminine way. Gregory created his "Burlesque Dancer" at about the same time as "Nautch Dancer." As with the "Nautch Dancer," he focused on the movements of the body rather than on a facial portrait of Gray. Although Gregory never revealed the identity of his model for "Burlesque Dancer," a clue to her identity is revealed in the sculpture's earlier title, "Shimmy Dance." The dancer who was credited for creating the shimmy dance was also Gilda Gray. According to dance legend, Gray introduced the shimmy when she sang the "Star Spangled Banner" and forgot some of the lyrics, so, in her embarrassment, started shaking her shoulders and hips but she did not move her legs. Such movement seems to relate to the "Burlesque Dancer" sculpture, where repeated triangular forms extend from the upper torso and hips. This rapid movement suggests the influence of Italian Futurism, as well as the planar motion of Alexander Archipenko, a sculptor whom Gregory much admired. The Cowan Pottery was a victim of the great depression, and in 1932, Gregory changed careers as a sculptor in the ceramics industry to that of an instructor at the Cranbrook Academy in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Cranbrook was perhaps the most prestigious place to study modern design in America. Its faculty included the architect Eliel Saarinen and sculptor Carl Milles. Although Gregory was only at Cranbrook for one and one half years, he created some of his finest works there, including his "Kansas Madonna" (fig. 3). But, after arriving at Cranbrook, the Gregory's had to face emerging financial pressures. Although Gregory and his wife were provided with complimentary lodgings, all other income had to stem from the sale of artworks and tuition from students that he, himself, had to solicit. Gregory had many people assisting him with production methods at the Cowan Pottery, but now worked largely by himself. And although he still used molds, especially in creating porcelain works, many of his major new sculptures would be unique and sculpted by hand, as is true of "Kansas Madonna." The scale of Gregory's works were getting notably larger at Cranbrook than at Cowan. Gregory left the surface of "Kansas Madonna" totally unglazed. Although some might object to using a religious title to depict a horse nursing its colt, it was considered one of Gregory's most successful works. In fact, it had a whole color page illustration in an article about ceramic sculpture titled, "The Art with the Inferiority Complex," Fortune Magazine, December, 1937. The article notes the sculpture was romantic and expressive and the sculpture was priced at $1,500.00; the most expensive sculpture in the article. Gregory was from Kansas, and "Kansas Madonna" should be considered a major sculptural document of Regionalism. Gregory and his wife Yolande moved to New Jersey in the summer of 1933. And the artist began construction on his new home in the Watchung Mountains of Bound Brook (Warren today) in 1938. His enormous, custom kiln was probably constructed at the start of 1938. Gregory's new sculptures were the largest ceramic sculptures in western art, in modern times. To create these works of ceramic virtuosity, the artist developed a "honeycomb" technique, in which an infrastructure of compartments was covered by a ceramic "skin." Science and atomic energy were a theme in Gregory's most significant work, the "Fountain of the Atom" (fig. 4), at the 1939 New York's World Fair. This major work included twelve monumental ceramic figures at the fairground entrance from the newly constructed railway entrance, giving the work great visibility and prominence. The framework of the fountain itself was of steel and glass bricks. It consisted of a bluish green pool which was sixty five feet in diameter. Above it were two concentric circular tiers, or terraces, as Gregory called them; the first wider than the second. On the first terrace were eight "Electrons," comprised of four male and four female terra cotta figures, each approximately 48 inches high. These relate to the valance shell of the atom. Above them on a narrower terrace, were the much larger and heavier terra cotta figures depicting the four elements, each averaging about 78 inches in height and weighing about a ton and a half. Of the four, "Water" and "Air" were male, while "Earth" and "Fire" were female. This terrace represents the nucleus of the atom. In the center of the fountain, above the "Elements," was a central shaft comprised of sixteen glass tubes from which water tumbled down from tier to tier. At the top, a colorful flame burned constantly. The glass block tiers were lit from within, the whole creating a glowing and gurgling effect. Since the fair was temporary, the figures could be removed after its closing. But the credit for the design of the structure of the fountain belongs to collaborator Nembhard Culin, who was responsible for several other structures on the fair grounds as well. Although Gregory created a figure of "Fire" for the "Fountain of the Atom," he also executed a second, slightly smaller but more defined version which he exhibited at various locations (including Cranbrook, Baltimore Museum, etc.) in 1940-1941, during the second year of the fair (fig.5). Measuring 61 inches in height, "Fire" may be a metaphor for sexual energy, as well as atomic energy. Gregory stated, "Fire is represented by an aquiline female figure being consumed in endless arabesques of flame." Portraiture was also a significant focus of Gregory's sculpture. Gregory produced many commissioned portraits of local people as well as celebrities. He created Albert Einstein's portrait from life (fig. 6, ca. 1940) after Einstein had seen Gregory's "Fountain of the Atom." He also sculpted some of the leading figures in entertainment, including 2 sculptures of Henry Fonda, who became a personal friend. Gregory also sculpted a series of idealized female heads, both in terra cotta and in porcelain. These include "Girl with Olive" (ca. 1932) and "Cretan Girl;"(ca. 1937) both are very reductive and almost abstract works that call to mind Constantine Brancusi's "Mademoiselle Pogany" (1912, Philadelphia Museum of Art). But perhaps one of his most original female heads is "Head of a Child" (fig. 7, ca. 1933), a sensitive white glazed terra cotta portrayal with elaborately crafted braded hair, was originally created as one of a pair. Gregory also produced sculptural works for the Works Progress Administration. The WPA was a work relief project that greatly helped artists during the great depression. Founded by the Federal Government in 1935, an estimated 2500 murals were produced. Among these public works were the iconic post office murals. But, among the painted murals were also sculptural relief murals including Gregory's "R.F.D.," 1938, for the Columbus, Kansas Post Office. But, Gregory's largest WPA relief...

Anna Kara is a designer who does everything with hands. She uses resin and marble powder for her creations, and we find on each skull more than 150 details. Born in Armenia in 1980, ...

Pegasus II, is a bronze sculpture of a horse with wings, from Greek mythology, with beautiful light green patina. Pegasus II Horse Bronze Sculpture G...

A very large & finely modeled antique Italian cold-painted Orientalist bronze of a young Arab girl, by the Italian sculptor Ferdinando de Luca, circa 1900. Ferdinando de Luca (also k...

A self-taught sculptor, Copper is drawn to what she considers the “misunderstood” animal, and much of her work centers on bats and burros. Pushing the barrier between animal and huma...

EMILE PEYNOT French, (1850-1932) Young Female with Doves Signed 'E. Peynot' on base 33 3/4 in x 12 1/2 in.

Edition of 50 Jane DeDecker’s energetic and dynamic bronze sculptures serve as a reflection of her own life experiences and those of her closely-knit family. Her twelve nieces and ne...

Masterfully carved with remarkable detail, a youthful Saint John the Baptist folds his hands in prayer in this stunning marble by the important Italian sculptor Domenico Menconi. The...

Inspired by amateur archaeologists such as Heinrich Schliemann who discovered Troy and by past elaborate hoaxes like that of the Piltdown Man, Joshua travels the world performing sta...

The main theme of Kitade’s artwork is focused on questioning. The sources of the ideas are picked up from his own life experiences, starting from personal experiences and expanding ...

¡ Holiday Special Pricing ! Edition TP. 2025 ALTERATION ART . . . is a collaboration process between Rick Wolfryd, fine artist and art dealer with over 40 years experience, and var...

In "Dance to Paradiso," Richard MacDonald masterfully captures an exceptional moment of observation as two figures engage in a dynamic dance with utter trust and harmony. This contem...

Franco Mauro Franchi was born in Castiglioncello (Livorno) on 9 October 1951. He completed his artistic studies at the Lucca State Institute of Art and the Academy of Fine Arts in Fl...

Sculpture of a man in a business suit with his arms crossed and one hand on his chin in a contemplative pose. Edition of 9

Charles Rumsey Puma is one of most recognized of small sculptures by the artist. The estate of artist Charles Rumsey has been represented by Lynda Ander...

Silvered bronze with marble base

Barefoot on the sacred land is a bronze sculpture by French contemporary artist Marine de Soos, dimensions are 61 × 28 × 13 cm (24 × 11 × 5.1 in). The sculpture is signed and number...

This striking piece, known for its bold red finish and lifelike detail, exemplifies Zareski's unique artistic vision and mastery in sculpture. "Le Sifflleur" is a part of Idan Zares...

Mid century sculpture depicting two hand blown cockatoos perched on a doré bronze tree on a glass base signed Zanetti.

Kristen Newell (American, b. 1989) Beast of the Apocalypse, 2019 Glazed stoneware, epoxy and acrylic Signed and dated on bottom 24 x 28 x 10 inches Kri...

Motherhood is based on an image originally created as a costume design for Les Idoles at the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt in 1924. Catalogue - Erté: The Last Works (Dutton, pgs. 179, 207...

Getting Close to the Sky is a bronze sculpture by French contemporary artist Marine de Soos, dimensions are 37.5 × 16 × 8.5 cm (14.8 × 6.3 × 3.3 in). The sculpture is signed and num...

CHARLES BRUNIN Belgian, (1841-1887) Le Pecheur Napolitain a L’oiseau Bronze Patinated bronze; Signed ‘Ch. Brunin Roma’ and with Tiffany and Co. foundry mark located on the base 2...

FRANZ BERGMANN Austrian, (1838-1894) an Arab Riding a Camel Austrian Cold-Painted Bronze Figures of a an Arab riding a camel. On marble base, signed "Nam Greb”. 10 1/2 inches high

Untitled Large Polished Bronze with Four Playful Girls Artist signed and dated 1969 104"h x 45"w x 28"d base 24"x20" Carla Lavatelli was born in Rome, Italy, in 1928 - (January ...

The figure has always been Deborah Ballard’s muse in her sculptures. Ballard works in bronze, cast stone, and plaster; her figures ranging from life-size to hand-size. Ballard says, ...

This paver is a subject that is included in the famous suite commonly called "little workers" by Jules Dalou (1838-1902) Bronze with dark brown patina cast by Susse Frères - stamped...

Oscar Nemon 1906 - 1985 Croatian Married Love Signed “Nemon” (on reverse) Bronze resin with green patina This rousing and sentimental sculpture, commis...

Born in 1980 in Sainte-Émelie de l’Énergie, Karine Giboulo lives and works in Montreal. Since early 2000, she has been creating work in a variety of media from paintings and works on...

Artist: Anthony Quinn, American (1915 - 2001) Title: Spirit of Zorba Year: 1984 Medium: Bronze Sculpture, signature, date and edition inscribed Edition: 49, AP Size: 16.5 x 9.5 x 8....

A Fine French Patinated Bronze Figure of Young Maiden sitting beside a Peacock surmounted atop a rouge marble plinth by Auguste Moreau. Perfect size for a desk or dresser, or mantle ornament...

Jean Cocteau ( 1889 - 1963 ) " Centurion " . " Unic work dadaist " circa 1928 . certifié par Madame Annie Guédras en décembre 2004 .

Louis Oury (1867 - 1940) L’Aiglon, 1899 Terracotta with polychromatic patina Signed on the shoulder and Seal from Goldscheider on the reverse Dimensions : 65 x 40 x 30 cm (25 x 15 3/...

I am a storyteller. As an actor, director, and writer, storytelling has been the heart of my life’s work. Whether on stage, in front of a camera, or on the page, I’ve spent years cra...

"Classical ballet was my main source of inspiration. Grace and beauty of ballerinas combining with extremely hard work they do. This combination is shocking and inspiring in the same...

The work of Sharon Loper exemplifies an intensity of purpose, demonstrates a passion for excellence, and discloses an understanding and sensitivity to materials and the physical worl...

Poule cayenne - Poule faisanne, 1st proof, 1906 Bronze with a black patina 28 x 22 13 cm Signed on the base : POMPON. Seal of the founder Cire Perdue A.A. Hebrard. Numbered (M) Certi...

Loet Vanderveen, Dutch (1921 - 2015) - Thoroughbred, Medium: Bronze sculpture, signature and numbering inscribed on bottom, Edition: 235/500, Size: 4.75 x 8 x 4 in. (12.07 x 20.3...

The sculpture is signed below. Monika Zadurska-Bielak, Graduated from the studio of Prof. Franciszek Duszeńko at the Faculty of Sculpture of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk (dipl...

**Diogenes.** **Terracotta sculpture, 1939, Giorgio Rossi (1894-1981): Tuscan Sculptor.** **Material:** Hand-modeled terracotta by the artist. **Unique piece.** **Dimensions...

Unknown Artist - Eagle, Medium: Hand carved wooden sculpture, Size: 13.5 x 7.5 x 5.5 in. (34.29 x 19.05 x 13.97 cm)

B.Z. Boobis, American - Dancer, Medium: Nickel cast sculpture, signature inscribed at base and on bottom, Size: 6.25 x 4 x 1.5 in. (15.88 x 10.16 x 3.81 cm)

Ann Rothman Ringmaster (Circus, Whimsical, Viola Frey, Delicate, Playful, Fun, Cirque du Soleil, The Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey) 2021 Porcelain, Low Fire Glazes, Crayons, Waterc...

FERDINANDO VICHI Italian, (1875-1945) Lovers 22 1/2 inches high Notes: The finely carved Italian white marble sculpture of lovers surmounted ...

Artist/Designer; Manufacturer: Victor Salmones (Mexican, 1937-1989) Marking(s); notes: signed, marking(s); Artist Proof Materials: bronze, stone (base) Dimensions (H, W, D): 21"h, 12...

Artist: (Garo) Karapet Balakeseryan Medium: Hydro Stone, One of a Kind Year: 2023 Style: Classic, Impressionism, Subject: Adam and Eva, Size:...

This bronze sculpture by Bessie Potter Vonnoh, from 1911, is a charming rendering of a young woman dressing. Vonnoh became one of the so-called "White Rabbits", women artists who a...

Edition of 12 + APs

Circe 19th-century Italian Wooden Sculpture, the proposed neoclassical figure is a fascinating and rare depiction of the Goddess Circe, made in the early 1800s. The pine wood carving...

Born in 1980 in Sainte-Émelie de l’Énergie, Karine Giboulo lives and works in Montreal. Since early 2000, she has been creating work in a variety of media from paintings and works on...

The sculpture "Eve" embodies the image of a primitive woman, a symbol of the beginning of humanity, the harmony of nature and life. Made of bronze, it has classical proportions that ...

Edition of 50 Jane DeDecker’s energetic and dynamic bronze sculptures serve as a reflection of her own life experiences and those of her closely-knit family. Her twelve nieces and nephews are the primary source of her inspiration, though DeDecker’s sculptures are not portraits. In fact, her loose style leaves her viewers with room for interpretation, so as to see their own lives within her sculptures. This imprecision, combined with her unique ability to capture specific moments to which each viewer can relate on a personal level, regardless of age, give DeDecker’s work a timeless quality that spans generations. DeDecker began her artistic training as a painter at the University of Northern Colorado, until a professor, noticing her joy in the portrayal of shapes and forms, suggested she try her hand at sculpture...

"Classical ballet was my main source of inspiration. Grace and beauty of ballerinas combining with extremely hard work they do. This combination is shocking and inspiring in the same...

Canadian artist Richard Tosczak captures the beauty and elegance of the human form in his sculptures. This piece shows a nude female in a strong pose, arms raised above her head. Masterfully cast in bronze, in an edition of 12. “The figurative works of the last few years are overtly anonymous and convey an intense introspection. Even those figures, inspired by dynamic activities such as dance and contact improvisation, give the impression they are turning inward into themselves.” Richard Tosczak Born in Belgium, Richard Tosczak studied philosophy and sculpture at the University of Alberta. At that time, Tosczak began working in steel and was influenced by a number of his professors who appreciated the work of a British abstract sculptor, Sir Anthony Caro considered one of the greatest sculptors of his generation. Further studies were pursued in France with another internationally acclaimed classic sculptor, Martine Vaugel...

Desperate by Jules DALOU (1838-1902) A bronze sculpture with a nuanced dark brownish-green patina Signed on the base " Dalou " Cast by " Susse Frères Editeurs Paris " (with the fou...

Provenance: Private Collection, Spain. Known as Peruvian alabaster for its translucency and workability, Piedra de Huamanga is a highly prized material from the province of Ayacucho in Peru. In the 17th and 18th centuries, local craftsman in the town of Huamanga began to specialize in the production of small-scale, polychrome religious sculptures made from this distinctive stone. Huamanga sculptures are among the most accomplished examples of carving from the Spanish Americas, where polychrome wood sculpture was a far more common sculptural medium. These works, which were created as independent sculptures or as sculptural groups—such as our three Magi—were intended for ecclesiastical as well as domestics settings. Our three figures likely formed part of a larger Nativity group—a New World variant of the tradition of the Neapolitan Crèche...

HENRI FUGÉRE French, (1872-1944) Woman with Flowers In gilt bronze dress leaning on a marble column with flowers in her hand, on a shaped marble base. ...

MATHURIN MOREAU (French, 1822-1914) Signed: ‘Moreau’ 19th Century 31 1/2 in. x 20 in.