Skip to main content

Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

American, 1863-1937
A sculptor of classical figures, American-born Frederick MacMonnies had fame in the United States and Europe in the later half of the 19th century and early 20th century. He occasionally returned to America but lived most of his life as in expatriate in France. He was especially known for his lithe bronze figures, especially ones titled Diana. The classical names of these figures allowed him the appearance of propriety but gave him the opportunity to model svelte nudes. Frederick MacMonnies was one of the first American sculptors to recognize the potential market of the middle class. He copyrighted his works and then contracted with foundries to mass produce some of his figures such as Diana in smaller sizes. MacMonnies was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was a child prodigy at carving stone. At age 18, he worked in the studio of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and then persuaded him to become his assistant, keeping models damp and covered, running errands, and cleaning the studio. Evenings he studied at the Art Students League, Cooper Union, and the National Academy of Design. In Saint-Gaudens' studio, he met many of the wealthy people who shared Saint-Gaudens Beaux-Arts based ideas that art and architecture should be unified in order to create public art in America equal to that of classical antiquity or Renaissance Europe. Among the men that MacMonnies met through Saint-Gaudens who later furthered his career were architects Stanford White and Charles McKim and John LaFarge, decorator of mansions of the wealthy including the Vanderbilts. After four years of study and work in New York, MacMonnies left for Paris, opting for the more modernist techniques he could learn there over the more traditional sculpture teaching in Rome. One of his first teachers was Alexandre Falguiere, who had been an instructor of Saint-Gaudens and who injected a degree of contemporary realism into his classical figures. MacMonnies mingled with many upper class American expatriates and met his future wife, Mary Fairchild, a painter. MacMonnies came home briefly to help Saint-Gaudens with a project and then gained admittance in Paris to the Ecole des Beaux Arts, where he did numerous classical figures inspired by the style of small bronzes of Renaissance Florence, Italy. In 1889, he established his reputation with his sculpture of "Diana" at the Paris Salon. The execution of his nude sculpture was a challenge for a sculptor such as himself who strove for slim, well proportioned figures---the "aestheticizing of the nude". (Katz 12) In those days, most of the female models were poor peasants who were stocky with poor figures, distorted feet and often unbathed. However, MacMonnies found Marie Caira as the model for his Diana figures, and she, from a professional family of models, had the figure and social stature that met his criteria. Although he chose to live in Paris, many of his public and private sculpture commissions in future years, with the help of Saint-Gaudens and also architect, Stanford White, were in the United States.
to
1
1
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
141
113
92
72
2
Artist: Frederick William MacMonnies
Model Study for Truth Sculpture at NY Public Library of Seated Man
Model Study for Truth Sculpture at NY Public Library of Seated Man

Model Study for Truth Sculpture at NY Public Library of Seated Man

By Frederick William MacMonnies

Located in Beachwood, OH

Frederick William MacMonnies (American, 1863-1937) Model Study for Truth, c. 1910-14 Painted plaster 16.5 x 9.25 x 7.5 inches For the 1920 sculpture for the New York Public Library ...

Category

1910s Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

Patinated Bronze Statuette of William Shakespeare
Patinated Bronze Statuette of William Shakespeare

Patinated Bronze Statuette of William Shakespeare

By Frederick William MacMonnies

Located in New Orleans, LA

Frederick William MacMonnies 1863–1937 American William Shakespeare Signed "F. MacMonnies" and foundry-marked "E. Gruet Jeune, Fondeur, Paris" Bronze Frederick William MacMonnies...

Category

19th Century Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Related Items
The Archer Large Classical Male Nude Bronze Sculpture by Ernst Moritz Geyger
The Archer Large Classical Male Nude Bronze Sculpture by Ernst Moritz Geyger

The Archer Large Classical Male Nude Bronze Sculpture by Ernst Moritz Geyger

Located in Palm Beach, FL

The Archer (Der Bogenschütze) — Large Bronze, 42” tall male nude academic bronze sculpture by Ernst Moritz Geyger. Cast by Gladenbeck Foundry, Berlin This 42-inch bronze of The Arche...

Category

Early 20th Century Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Antique Bronze Dog "Whippet with a Butterfly" Arthur Waagen (1833-1898) 1 of 2
Antique Bronze Dog "Whippet with a Butterfly" Arthur Waagen (1833-1898) 1 of 2

Antique Bronze Dog "Whippet with a Butterfly" Arthur Waagen (1833-1898) 1 of 2

By Arthur Waagen

Located in SANTA FE, NM

Antique Bronze Dog Portrait “La Levrette au Papillon” or “Whippet (Greyhound) with a Butterfly”   Arthur Waagen (Germany, France 1833-1898) Circa 1860’s 11 x 8 x 4  inches (1 of 2. ...

Category

1860s Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Seated Mercury Life-size Grand Tour Bronze Sculpture
Seated Mercury Life-size Grand Tour Bronze Sculpture

Seated Mercury Life-size Grand Tour Bronze Sculpture

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Seated Mercury (Hermes) — Grand Tour Life-Size Bronze Italian School (possibly Naples) Italy, Late 19th–Early 20th Century This commanding life-size Grand Tour bronze depicts Mercury (Hermes) seated in quiet repose upon a rock, rendered with classical authority and exceptional refinement. The youthful god’s finely modeled anatomy, serene, introspective expression, and distinctive winged sandals draw directly from the celebrated ancient prototype, creating a sculpture of enduring presence and balance. Fully restored and ready to place, the bronze presents beautifully for interior display or garden installation, where its patinated surface responds richly to natural light. The composition derives from the renowned Seated Mercury discovered on August 3, 1758, in the peristyle garden of the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum. The ancient original—now housed in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli—became a touchstone of classical taste and a must-see for Grand Tour travelers of the 18th and 19th centuries, admired for its harmony, restraint, and technical mastery. Cast in richly toned bronze and finished with a nuanced patina, this example exemplifies the Neapolitan tradition of Grand Tour bronzes, prized for archaeological fidelity and sculptural finesse. Its impressive scale and poised silhouette make it a significant focal point in both modern and classical settings—an object that bridges antiquity and the cultivated collecting culture of the Grand Tour. Notable Related Examples: Getty Villa · Kunsthistorisches Museum · Villa San Michele...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

“Enlevement des Sabines”
“Enlevement des Sabines”

Marius Jean Antonin Mercié“Enlevement des Sabines”, Circa 1885

$3,040Sale Price|20% Off

H 18 in W 6.25 in D 6.25 in

“Enlevement des Sabines”

By Marius Jean Antonin Mercié

Located in Southampton, NY

Here for your consideration is a beautiful highly detailed bronze done in the forth quarter of the nineteen century after the work of Jean Boulogne, known as Giambologna. Boulogne’s sculpture was done in marble and was completed between 1579 and 1583. The sculptor of this bronze is Antonin Mercie, a well known French sculptor born in 1845. The bronze represents the Rape of the Sabine Women (Latin: Sabinae raptae), also known as the Abduction of the Sabine Women or the Kidnapping of the Sabine Women, was an incident in Roman mythology in which the men of Rome committed a mass abduction of young women from the other cities in the region. It has been a frequent subject of artists and sculptors, particularly during the Renaissance and post-Renaissance eras. Signed on base “Mercie” for Antonin Mercie.. In very good condition wirh original brown patina. The base which depicts rocks is bronze and has been painted a matt black. Provenance:: A Sarasota estate. Mercié, (Marius Jean Antonin Mercie...

Category

1880s Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Fabulous Italian Neoclassical Marble Sculpture of Hermes
Fabulous Italian Neoclassical Marble Sculpture of Hermes

Fabulous Italian Neoclassical Marble Sculpture of Hermes, 1890

$6,690Sale Price|20% Off

H 33.47 in Dm 17.72 in

Fabulous Italian Neoclassical Marble Sculpture of Hermes

Located in Rome, IT

19th century French finely chiseled bronze figure of Hermes . Signed Pigalle G . Cuspinera Hermes , the messenger of the gods, is sitting on a rock, ready to leap up. He is att...

Category

19th Century Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Female Torso in Bronze Finish - Contemporary Figurative Sculpture by Zura
Female Torso in Bronze Finish - Contemporary Figurative Sculpture by Zura

Female Torso in Bronze Finish - Contemporary Figurative Sculpture by Zura

Located in Brooklyn, NY

This work encapsulates Zura's deep exploration of the human form, rendered with raw immediacy and emotional resonance. The sculpture’s sensuous curves and rough, tactile surface invi...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Seated Mercury, or Hermes - God of Speed
Seated Mercury, or Hermes - God of Speed

Marius Pierre MontagneSeated Mercury, or Hermes - God of Speed, 1867

$9,600Sale Price|20% Off

H 24.63 in W 10.75 in D 15.75 in

Seated Mercury, or Hermes - God of Speed

Located in New York, NY

This Mercury by Montagne has lovely patina and surface and is a pleasingly different depiction of Winged speed as he is seated! It is an arresting pose and elegant and covers all fa...

Category

1860s Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"L'Infini"
"L'Infini"

Pierre Charles Lenoir"L'Infini", Circa 1910

$450

H 2.5 in W 2 in D 0.125 in

"L'Infini"

By Pierre Charles Lenoir

Located in Southampton, NY

Circa 1910 bronze cast medal by the French sculptor, Pierre Charles Lenoir. Edge mark, cornucopia. Pierre Lenoir was a French sculptor and medallist and was one of the Breton sculp...

Category

1910s Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Life-size Plaster Statue of The Callipygian Venus or Aphrodite  1920'
Life-size Plaster Statue of The Callipygian Venus or Aphrodite  1920'

Life-size Plaster Statue of The Callipygian Venus or Aphrodite 1920'

Located in Rome, IT

Italian life-size plaster sculpture , figure of the Callipygian Venus, after the antique Roman marble statue. Aphrodite Kallipygos, or Callipygian Venus literally means “Venus of ...

Category

1920s Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

Marsyas Brussels Atelier de Moulages Lifesize Plaster Cast
Marsyas Brussels Atelier de Moulages Lifesize Plaster Cast

Marsyas Brussels Atelier de Moulages Lifesize Plaster Cast

Located in Palm Beach, FL

A compelling life-size plaster cast depicting Marsyas, the ill-fated satyr of Greek mythology renowned for his mastery of the aulos. According to classical legend, Marsyas dared chal...

Category

Mid-19th Century Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

Old John
Old John

Lillie Hyde HarperOld John, 1933

$4,800

H 20.25 in W 8 in D 9.25 in

Old John

Located in New York, NY

Extraordinary that a few women prevailed in the difficult world of casting in bronze in America but Lillie was one of them. There is scant information on her but this marvelous head...

Category

1930s Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Previously Available Items
Pan of Rohallion, 1889-90 classical bronze sculpture
Pan of Rohallion, 1889-90 classical bronze sculpture

Pan of Rohallion, 1889-90 classical bronze sculpture

By Frederick William MacMonnies

Located in Beachwood, OH

Frederick W. MacMonnies (American, 1863-1937) Pan of Rohallion, 1889-90 (Garden 22) Bronze Signed on base, 'ROMAN BRONZE WORKS NY' at base 14.25 x 4 x 6 inches A sculptor of classical figures, American-born Frederick MacMonnies...

Category

1880s Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Frederick William Macmonnies figurative sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Frederick William MacMonnies figurative sculptures available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Frederick William MacMonnies in bronze, metal and more. Not every interior allows for large Frederick William MacMonnies figurative sculptures, so small editions measuring 4 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Doris Caesar, Walter Peter Brenner, and Margot Homan. Frederick William MacMonnies figurative sculptures prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $7,000 and tops out at $40,500, while the average work can sell for $23,750.