Marble Sculptures

Artist Commentary: After seeing a show of the works of Matisse, I wanted to express the joy I find in his work. His wonderful pleasure in color and simple forms. Making it while in ...

Sydney Kumalo. Features a bronze stylized female figural form sculpture fixed to a marble plinth and wood base. Bears signature on base. Measures 9 1/2" x 4 1/4". There is no edition number on the piece. Sydney Kumalo (1935 - 1988) was born in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, on 13 April 1935. His was one of the families who had to move out of the "white" city to the South Western Townships, or Soweto. Raised in Diepkloof and educated at Madibane High School, he took with him from old Sophiatown the curious and diverse heritage of its heyday. Art classes in the Catholic school, "Sof' town" blues and jazz, the vibrant street culture and growing defiance of its population of various races who were gradually forced out into separate race-group areas. So it was that these various aspects of his early life created for Kumalo a cultural mix of a Zulu family related to the traditional royal house; city schooling, nascent township music and lingo; growing urbanised political defiance and the deep-rooted Zulu pride and respect for the legends and ancient stories of a tribal people. This mix of old and new cultures was reinforced when he began his studies at the Polly Street Art Centre in 1953 where he became a member of Cecil Skotnes group of serious artists who were encouraged to acquire professional skills. Skotnes introduced a basic training programme with modelling as a component, which marked the introduction of sculpting (in brick-clay) at Polly Street. Kumalo was Skotnes’ assistant at Polly Street from 1957 to 1964, and having recognised his great talent as a sculptor, Skotnes encouraged him to become a professional artist. After Kumalo’s very successful assistance with a commission to decorate the St Peter Claver church at Seeisoville near Kroonstad, with painting designs, sculpture and relief panels in 1957, Skotnes arranged for Kumalo to continue his art training by working in Edoardo Villa ’s studio from 1958 to 1960. Working with Villa, he received professional guidance and began to familiarize himself with the technical aspects of sculpting and bronze casting. In 1960 he became an instructor at the Polly Street Art Centre. Kumalo started exhibiting his work with some of the leading commercial Johannesburg galleries in 1958, and had his first solo exhibition with the Egon Guenther Gallery in 1962. He was a leader of the generation who managed to leave behind the forms of African curios, reject the European-held paternalism which encouraged notions of "naive" and "tribal" African art, and yet still hold fast to the core of the old legends and spiritual values of his people. He introduced these subjects into his bronze sculptures and pastel drawings, evolving his own expressive, contemporary African "style". Together with Skotnes, Villa, Cecily Sash and Giuseppe Cattaneo, Kumalo became part of the Amadlozi group in 1963. This was a group of artists promoted by the African art collector and gallery director Egon Guenther, and characterised by their exploration of an African idiom in their art. Elza Miles writes that Cecil Skotnes’ friendship with Egon Guenther had a seminal influence on the aspirant artists of Polly Street: “Guenther broadened their experience by introducing them to German Expressionism as well as the sculptural traditions of West and Central Africa. He familiarised them with the work of Ernst Barlach, Käthe Kollwitz, Gustav Seitz, Willi Baumeister and Rudolf Sharf.” It is therefore not surprising that some of Kumalo’s sculptures show an affinity with Barlach’s powerful expressionist works. Guenther organised for the Amadlozi group to hold exhibitions around Italy, in Rome, Venice, Milan and Florence, in both 1963 and 1964. Kumalo’s career took off in the mid 1960s, with his regular participation in exhibitions in Johannesburg, London, New York and Europe. He also represented South Africa at the Venice Biennale in 1966, and in 1967 participated in the São Paulo Biennale. EJ De Jager (1992) describes Kumalo’s sculpture as retaining much of the “canon and formal aesthetic qualities of classical African sculpture. His work contains the same monumentality and simplicity of form.” His main medium for modelling was terra cotta, which was then cast in bronze, always paying careful attention to the finish of both the model as well as the final cast. He began casting the pieces he modelled in clay or plaster into bronze at the Renzo Vignali Artistic Foundry in Pretoria North. He worked throughout his life with its owners, the Gamberini family, and enjoyed learning the technical aspects of the casting process, refining his surfaces according to what he learned would produce the best results in metal. De Jager further writes that Kumalo’s distinctive texturing of the bronze or terra cotta is reminiscent of traditional carving techniques of various African cultures. “In many respects Kumalo thus innovated a genuine contemporary or modern indigenous South African sculpture”. Kumalo came to admire the works of the Cubists, and of British sculptors Henry Moore and Lynn Chadwick. He became noted for adapting shapes from them into his own figures. The success of his use of the then current monumental simplicity and purely aesthetic abstractions of natural forms has been emulated by many South African sculptors since the 1970s. He was in many ways the doyen of South African Black art. As such he was an important influence especially on younger African sculptors, by whom he is greatly revered. Through his teaching at Polly Street and at the Jubilee Centre, as well as through his personal example of integrity, dedication and ability, he inspired and guided students who in their own right became outstanding artists, for example, Ezrom Legae, Leonard Matsoso and Louis Maqhubela From 1969 onward, he allied himself with Linda Givon, founder of The Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg, where he exhibited regularly until his death in December 1988. Working with Givon also perpetuated his associations with his many friends of strong principles. Skotnes, Villa, Legae and later such peers from the Polly Street era as Leonard Matsoso, Durant Sihlali and David Koloane have all exhibited at The Goodman Gallery. Kumalo, Legae, and later Fikile (Magadlela) and Dumile (Feni) were among the leading exponents of a new Afrocentric art...

Stonegate 8 is a unique sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of black Palissandro marble and iron, dimensions are 119 × 57 × 24.5 cm (46.9 × 22.4 × 9...

This monumental bust is a museum-quality example of Roman Baroque sculpture. Crafted by the legendary Domenico Guidi and carved from Carrara marble, the impressive portrait captures the visage of Pope Innocent XI, Benedetto Odescalchi (1611-1689). It presents a larger-than-life example of Guidi’s remarkable skill as a sculptor, which ultimately made his workshop one of the most important in Rome during his age. Today, his works are rarely found on the market, particularly his extraordinary works in marble. Pope Innocent XI was born Benedetto Odescalchi into an Italian noble family of prominent bankers. Spending his early years in banking, he eventually turned to the law, earning his doctorate in 1639. His background would serve him well in his service to the papacy, and he became known as a frugal and devout member of the Church. In 1676, he was unanimously elected Pop after the death of Clement X. During his nearly 13-year reign, he instilled his own personal ideals of austerity and frugality onto the Church, with a deep commitment to reform and piety. He is captured here by Guidi in his traditional Pope’s mozzetta and camauro cap. A wide stole is draped over his shoulders, ornamented by acanthus leaves and the coat of arms of the Odescalchi family. It displays Guidi’s mastery over the chiaroscuro effect, particularly in the high level of contrast in his cheeks and his eyes, which Guidi achieved through various methods of high polish. A very similar portrait sculpture of Pope Innocent XI by Guidi can be found in the collection of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. The Warsaw bust belongs to a series of portraits of popes which the Odescalchi family commissioned from Domenico Guidi in the 1690s. Compared to that example, the present bust is far more dramatic, with deeper cut lines and a more precise expression. It is likely that the present piece was seen by the Odescalchi family, who ordered a similar one to be made. The piece was almost certainly intended to be displayed in a niche, given its dramatic cutting and its roughly carved back. Others of Guidi’s busts can be found in important collections throughout Italy, England and the United States, though many of these are lesser bronze repetitions. A bronze bust of the Pope Alexander VIII by Guidi is currently in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), while a terracotta version of the same is in the Los Angeles County Museum. A bronze of Pope Alexander VIII can be found in the Princely Collection of Lichtenstein, and his impressive marble papal bust of Clement IX graces the pope’s tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore. The present bust of Pope...

Max Kalish (American, 1891-1945) Harmony, c. 1930 Bronze with green marble base Incised signature on right upper side of base 14 x 9 x 5 inches, excluding base 17 x 10 x 8 inches, including base Born in Poland March 1, 1891, figurative sculptor Max Kalish came to the United States in 1894, his family settling in Ohio. A talented youth, Kalish enrolled at the Cleveland Institute of Art as a fifteen-year-old, receiving a first-place award for modeling the figure during studies with Herman Matzen. Kalish went to New York City following graduation, studying with Isidore Konti...

Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Description Masked suggests a sense of mystery and eccentricity, and begs the question: Who is the man behind the mask? ...

RECLINING FIGURE Gray Vermont marble 18" (height) x 30" (width) x 14" (depth) Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The inte...

Sezione Aurea 2024-001 is a unique wall sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of Palissandro marble and gold leaf, dimensions are 56.5 × 26.5 × 12 cm ...

Hand carved Carrara marble head of a cherub's face surrounded by wings. Later mounted on metal base.

Woman with roses Albert-Ernest CARRIER-BELLEUSE (1824-1887) Bust sculpted in white Carrara marble signed "Carrier-Belleuse" France circa 1870 total height 65 cm width 29 cm depth ...

Impressive Carrara marble bust depicting Flora attributed to Venetian sculptor Orazio Marinali (1643-1720). Traces of a monogram behind the left shoulder O.... Orazio Marinali wa...

Edwin Willard Deming (American, 1860-1942) Man with Flute and Cougar Cast bronze sculpture with golden brown patina Signed, numbered 9/100, with Fenn F...

This captivating sculpture presents an intricate assembly of rusted metal rings that appear to float effortlessly, forming an evocative composition. Set against a lush garden backdro...

Sezione Aurea 2024-020 is a unique wall sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of black Palissandro marble and gol...

Il busto marmoreo, datato 1890, appartiene alla sua età adulta, nello specifico all’ultimo anno della sua vita, quando era molto richiesto e aveva uno studio molto prolifico a Firenz...

Studio of Raffaello Romanelli Early 20th Century Italian Clio Inscribed "Executé sous la Direction du Prof. Romanelli" (on base) Marble Clio, the muse of history from Greek mytho...

"The actress" presumed portrait of Sarah Bernhardt by Paul François BERTHOUD (1870-1939) A very rare symbolist style bust made up of a white Carrara marble head and a patinated bron...

Two Spirals, 1971 Metal with marble base Height at rest: 7 inches Signed and dated "Rickey 1971" on base Unique

Beautiful Sculpture in white marble by the artist Agustin Cardenas. Signed on the base of the sculpture. Cárdenas was a descendant of african slaves from Senegal and Congo. He was b...

By Émile-Coriolan-Hippolyte Guillemin (French, 1841-1907) A lively bust of a young french woman; dynamically sculpted with an adorable upturned smile and glimmering eyes, in a chemi...

A Quiet Place is a unique Belgium black marble and iron sculpture by contemporary artist Francesca Bernardini, dimensions including the movable iron base are 47 × 50 × 25 cm (18.5 × ...

Kora is a unique oil, acrylic and wax on Carrara marble sculpture by contemporary artist Richard Perry, dimensions are 26 × 27.5 × 25.5 cm (10.2 × 10.8 × 10 in). The sculpture is si...

striking hand carved Carrara marble and linden wood sculpture by contemporary Italian sculptor Lorenzo Vignoli, incorporating classical references and Greek mythology influences Med...

Korè-Bardiglio is a unique monumental sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of Bardiglio marble, dimensions are 173 × 52 × 66 cm (68.1 × 20.5 × 26 in)...

Sezione Aurea 2024-006 is a unique wall sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of black Palissandro marble and gold leaf, dimensions are 74 × 37.5 × 11...

Toro Bull Patinated Bronze sculpture on marble base, artist signed, 16.5h x 8w x 6d, base 6"h x7.5"w x6"d Heriberto Juárez (March 16, 1932 – August 26, 2008) was a self-taught Mex...

This piece is available on a commission basis. Please allow 8 - 12 weeks before shipping. Smooth surfaced, engineered white marble flecked almost imperceptibly with grey and black, ...

Italian, 19th Century 32 in. x 15 in.

Felipe Castaneda, signed marble sculpture of Beautiful Nude Woman Felipe Castaneda, Mexican, born,1933, is an internationally renowned sculptor whose ar...

Perpetual motion is a unique Bardiglio marble and glaze sculpture by contemporary artist Francesca Bernardini, dimensions are 60 × 160 × 80 cm (23.6 × 63 × 31.5 in). The sculpture i...

Outstanding Italian Neoclassical Sphinx Carrara Marble sculpture designed as entrance guardian, this mythical lady sphinx statuary display the head and chest of a neoclassical woma...

El Greco is a unique Carrara marble sculpture sculpture by contemporary artist Richard Perry, dimensions are 15 cm × 17 cm × 10 cm (5.9 × 6.7 × 3.9 in). The sculpture is signed and ...

This Portrait go Giuseppe Garibaldi is an original decorative marble sculpture realized in Italy by Italian manufacture during the end of the XIX century. The alabaster marble sta...

Masquerade, a traditional yet playful composition by Fortunato Galli, reflects the realism and intricacy that defined Italian sculpture at the end of the 19th century. Magnificently ...

Refuges is a unique Belgium black marble, Bardiglio marble, petit granit and steel sculpture by contemporary artist Francesca Bernardini. The sculpture is maintained on the granite b...

Celebrated for their public artworks in Quebec, and privately collected in both Canada and Europe, the sculptural team of Jean-François Maheux and Nadia Mercier create elegant, conte...

Egyptian King Menthuphis, draped in a lion skin, and dripping in jewels, holds up a statue of two horses. Flanked by two birds and mounted on Rouge Mable and...

Sezione Aurea 2024-027 is a unique monumental sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of Palissandro marble and gold leaf, dimensions are 68 × 44 × 32 ...

Air connection is a unique Statuario Carrara marble and glaze sculpture by contemporary artist Francesca Bernardini. The dimensions are 33 × 50 × 20 cm (13 × 19.7 × 7.8 in). The scul...

In protection is a unique Statuario marble sculpture by contemporary artist Francesca Bernardini. The dimensions are 12 × 27 × 20 cm (4.7 × 10.6 × 7.8 in). The sculpture is signed an...

HIPPOLYTE FRANÇOIS MOREAU French, (1832-1927) Two Beauties Patinated bronze; Signed, The base inscribed H.MOREAU, surmounted on a green marble base. ...

Sezione Aurea 2024-014 is a unique wall sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of Palissandro marble and gold leaf, dimensions are 87 × 46 × 5 cm (34.3...

Finely carved female figural marble statue by C. Dazzi  A full length white marble statue of a young woman in a dynamic dress admiring her engagement ring. Resting on a pink marble vase...

Luna is a unique ink, paint and wax on Carrara marble sculpture by contemporary artist Richard Perry, dimensions are 20 × 20 × 17 cm (7.9 × 7.9 × 6.7 in). The sculpture is signed an...

Sezione Aurea 2024-018 is a unique wall sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of black Palissandro marble and gold leaf, dimensions are 74 × 40 × 7 cm...

A. BATACCHI Italian, (XIX-XX) Nymph Italian Carrara marble. H 10.50 in. x W 17 in. x D 31.50 in. Signed A. Battachi, Florence in verso. Note: Batacchi was active in Flore...

Comfort zone is a unique Bardiglio marble and steel sculpture by contemporary artist Francesca Bernardini. The sculpture is maintained on the iron base with magnets but it is movable...

Louis Kley (French, 1833-1911) The Lizard, 19th Century Gilt bronze and marble Signed to base 6.25 x 4.5 x 3 inches In Greco-Roman times, the lizard represented good fortune and reg...

Untitled II, Palissandro is a unique sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of Palissandro marble, dimensions are 142 × 46 × 35 cm (55.9 × 18.1 × 13.8 ...

Sezione Aurea A7 is a unique sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of Palissandro marble and gold leaf, dimensions are 72 × 53.5 × 4 cm (28.3 × 21.1 ×...

At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Au...

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

Ghost is a unique Carrara marble sculpture by contemporary artist Richard Perry, dimensions are 35 × 35 × 35 cm (13.8 × 13.8 × 13.8 in). The sculpture is signed and comes with a cer...

Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Artemis Bust" Series: Sculpture *Signed, titled, and dated by Graves on bottom Year: 2026 Medium: Original Acrylic and Enamel Painte...

Belgium black marble sculpture, iron base. 50 cm × 24 cm × 18 cm // 19.7 in x 9.4 in x 7.1 in. The indicated dimensions include the iron base of the sculpture. The sculpture is main...

MADRE TERRA (Mother Earth) by Lorenzo Vignoli (2012) striking hand carved Carrara marble sculpture by contemporary Italian sculptor Lorenzo Vignoli, incorporating classical referenc...

Antonio Tantardini (Italian, 1829-1879) An extraordinary Italian 19th century life-size carved Carrara white marble sculpture of "A Young Child and a baby in a wicker crib" - A Risorgimento Allegory subject. The older child's medallion inscribed with an interlocked XV and Garibaldi, the crib monogrammed: AR. Signed and dated: A.nio Tantanrdini F.ce / 1863. Circa: Florence, 1863. This sculpture includes a recent custom-made veined black marble pedestal stand. (The 2 items description mean the sculpture and pedestal, which are sold as sold a set.) In a country famed for its skilled carvers and working in an age when virtuoso carving technique was highly prized, Antonio Tantardini was one of the very best exponents of master carvers in nineteenth century Italy. Vicario describes Tantardini's skill as 'un abilità tecnica stupefacente'. The present amazing quality marble group epitomizes Tantardini's exceptional talents as a carver. Lesser sculptors might have shied away from attempting to carve a life-size wicker crib in marble, but Tantardini has clearly relished the Challenge. The result is a stunning achievement of verismo Italian sculpture. This marble group, however, is more than a paradigm of Italian marble carving, it is also a prime example of the use of Risorgimento allegory in Italian sculpture of the 1860s. Famous sculptural Risorgimento allegories include Raffaelle Monti...

MM2 is a unique sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of Palissandro marble, stainless steel, iron, dimensions are 168 × 69 × 30 cm (66.1 × 27.2 × 11....

Sezione Aurea 2024-023 is a unique sculpture by contemporary artist Mattia Bosco. This sculpture is made of black Palissandro marble and gold leaf, dimensions are 59.5 × 30.5 × 19 cm...

Vertical House is a unique Black Carrara marble, Belgium black marble and steel sculpture by contemporary artist Francesca Bernardini. The sculpture is maintained on the Belgium blac...