Luciano Zanoni

Sculptor Ivan Zanoni is likely among the last blacksmiths in the world who relies on medieval techniques to create magnificent iron sculptures. Having learned the craft from his father, sculptor Luciano Zanoni, Ivan is celebrated internationally for his provocative animal sculptures and other works. 

Ivan Zanoni was born in Caldes, Trento, Italy, and wasted no time getting his little hands into all sorts of trouble. Burning himself was just the first of many lessons he would learn while working in his father’s workshop, but in the years that followed, Ivan would come to master the traditions most closely associated with the family name. There is a long history of blacksmithing in the Zanoni family, and many artisans have passed down skills to younger generations, who’ve managed to formulate their own unique approach to their craft. 

Today, father and son work together in their shared workshop even as their subjects and methods vary. Luciano’s ideas take shape in his head, and while he may draw the initial outlines of a concept in chalk on the ground before lighting the fire, he usually skips the concepting stage altogether. Ivan, on the other hand, tends to sketch out ideas, make plasticine models and cut sheet metal accordingly before beginning to work with his material. Sometimes a given work can take years to complete.

Ivan is probably best known for the vast range of figurative sculptures he’s created over the years, all of which draw on the wonders of the animal kingdom, while his father specializes in sculpting olive trees and other plant life in iron. Their approaches intersect with a love of nature, each holding a firm belief that remaining rooted to the earth, grounded both emotionally and spiritually, is critical to much more than just their art. 

Ivan began to explore sculpture on his own in 1998. He has exhibited his work at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto. He created a series of sculptures representing the fables of La Fontaine and has completed multiple feline sculptures inspired by the stories of Italian writer Emilio Salgari. The Salamon Fine Art gallery in Milan represents both Ivan and Luciano Zanoni, and some of their work is held in the gallery’s permanent collection.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Ivan Zanoni sculptures.

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.