Buste Hermes Platre
Early 1800s French School Figurative Sculptures
Marble
People Also Browsed
17th Century Old Masters Paintings
Copper
19th Century Academic Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil
15th Century and Earlier Figurative Sculptures
Earthenware
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
18th Century Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Pop Art Figurative Prints
Paper, Screen
Antique 1810s English Dinner Plates
Porcelain
Antique Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Busts
Plaster
20th Century Academic Figurative Sculptures
Limestone
1980s Pop Art Figurative Prints
Screen, Paper
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Italian Classical Roman Busts
Marble
19th Century Hudson River School Landscape Paintings
Oil
1890s Art Nouveau Figurative Sculptures
Marble
Early 20th Century Academic Nude Drawings and Watercolors
Laid Paper, Canvas, Oil Pastel, Pastel
1890s Post-Impressionist Figurative Prints
Lithograph, Mulberry Paper
Finding the Right figurative-sculptures for You
Figurative sculptures mix reality and imagination, with the most common muse being the human body. Animals are also inspirations for these sculptures, along with forms found in nature.
While figurative sculpture dates back over 35,000 years, the term came into popularity in the 20th century to distinguish it from abstract art. It was aligned with the Expressionist movement in that many of its artists portrayed reality but in a nonnaturalistic and emotional way. In the 1940s, Alberto Giacometti — a Swiss-born artist who was interested in African art, Cubism and Surrealism — created now-iconic representational sculptures of the human figure, and after World War II, figurative sculpture as a movement continued to flourish in Europe.
Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon were some of the leading figurative artists during this period. Artists like Jeff Koons and Maurizio Cattelan propelled the evolution of figurative sculpture into the 21st century.
Figurative sculptures can be whimsical, uncanny and beautiful. Their materials range from stone and wood to metal and delicate ceramics. Even in smaller sizes, the sculptures make bold statements. A bronze sculpture by Salvador Dalí enhances a room; a statuesque bull by Jacques Owczarek depicts strength with its broad chest while its thin legs speak of fragility. Figurative sculptures allow viewers to see what is possible when life is reimagined.
Browse 1stDibs for an extensive collection of figurative sculptures and find the next addition to your collection.