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
140
103
92
73
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
Jean-Léon Gérôme  La Danseuse au Cerceau - Gilt Bronze Statue of a Hoop Dancer
Jean-Léon Gérôme  La Danseuse au Cerceau - Gilt Bronze Statue of a Hoop Dancer

Jean-Léon Gérôme La Danseuse au Cerceau - Gilt Bronze Statue of a Hoop Dancer

By Jean-Léon Gérôme

Located in New York, NY

Jean-Léon Gérôme French 1824 - 1904 La Joueuse De Cerceau - The Hoop Dancer A mini gilt bronze female figural statue of a young hoop dancer inspired by a trove of ancient terraco...

Category

19th Century Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Pioneer Family" WPA American Modernism Plaster Maquette Realism 20th Century
"Pioneer Family" WPA American Modernism Plaster Maquette Realism 20th Century

"Pioneer Family" WPA American Modernism Plaster Maquette Realism 20th Century

By William Zorach

Located in New York, NY

"Pioneer Family," 23 1/2 x 16 1/4 x 10 3/4 inPlaster. c. 1927. Unsigned. Realism The Smithsonian has a cast of this sculpture in its collection. Pictured on the cover of “The Sculpt...

Category

1920s American Modern Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

Seated Mercury Life-Size Bronze Sculpture, Italian, Late 19th Century
Seated Mercury Life-Size Bronze Sculpture, Italian, Late 19th Century

Seated Mercury Life-Size Bronze Sculpture, Italian, Late 19th Century

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

Lifesize Plaster Cast Sculpture of The Wrestlers, Antique Nude Art
Lifesize Plaster Cast Sculpture of The Wrestlers, Antique Nude Art

Lifesize Plaster Cast Sculpture of The Wrestlers, Antique Nude Art

By Brussels Atelier de Moulages

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Antique Grand Tour Plaster Cast after Antonio Canova – Life-Size Figural Group This impressive, life-size antique plaster cast represents one of t...

Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

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

Ram's Head Contemporary Plaster Sculpture with Green Patina Ancient Rome Style
Ram's Head Contemporary Plaster Sculpture with Green Patina Ancient Rome Style

Ram's Head Contemporary Plaster Sculpture with Green Patina Ancient Rome Style

Located in Firenze, IT

This contemporary plaster sculpture of a ram’s head is inspired by the art of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece with a reference to Neoclassicism and Neoclassical period old masters, when the discoveries of archaeological sites became the focal point in art history between the 18th and 19th century. The artist is able to attribute incredible details to this work of art featuring a majestic appearance due to its large curling ridged horns. This animal figurative work of art is sculpted on the round, the artist took inspiration both from his imagination and archaic reminiscences. He modeled the inert chalk creating an animal with very real facial expression and incredible realistic features with intricate detailed head. This sculpture is the plaster cast hand modeled by the artist that served him as a reference model to create a bronze sculpture with the lost wax technique, also the bronze version is on sale on my page. So it represents the first phase of a fascinating and long process of creating sculptural art, a studio piece made as a maquette before a bronze version was cast. The present aries' head sculpture has been painted to simulate the green patina that archaeological metal sculptures take over the centuries. Two green patina sculptures...

Category

2010s Contemporary Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Plaster, Lacquer, Paint, Chalk

Marsyas Life-Size Plaster Cast Sculpture, 19th Century, Good Condition
Marsyas Life-Size Plaster Cast Sculpture, 19th Century, Good Condition

Marsyas Life-Size Plaster Cast Sculpture, 19th Century, Good Condition

By Brussels Atelier de Moulages

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

Ana
Ana

Juan Gomez QuirozAna, c. 1975

$5,750

H 24 in W 20 in D 12 in

Ana

By Juan Gomez Quiroz

Located in North Clarendon, VT

Ana, a striking mixed medea sculpture by Juan Manuel Gomez-Quiroz. From the estate of the artist. Painter and printmaker and sculptor Juan Manuel Gomez-Quiroz was born in Santiago d...

Category

1980s Post-Modern Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Plaster, Mixed Media

“Quan Yin”
“Quan Yin”

Early 20th Century Chinese School“Quan Yin”, Circa 1950

$960Sale Price|20% Off

H 11 in W 8 in D 6 in

“Quan Yin”

Located in Southampton, NY

Here for your consideration is a vintage bronze statuette from the mid-20th century depicting Quan Yin. Created during the midcentury period, this bronze statuette features the Quan ...

Category

1950s Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

David Slaying Goliath Large Figural Bronze Statue by Antonin Mercie
David Slaying Goliath Large Figural Bronze Statue by Antonin Mercie

David Slaying Goliath Large Figural Bronze Statue by Antonin Mercie

By Marius Jean Antonin Mercié

Located in New York, NY

The base marked "A. Mercie" and "506 F. Barbenienne, Fondeur, Paris" ad "A. Collas" "Reduction Mecanique." The dazzling David, a prolific subject amongst sculpture artists beginning...

Category

Late 19th Century Academic Frederick William MacMonnies Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Arrotino (Knife Sharpener) Fonderia Chiurazzi Life-size Bronze Bust Sculpture
Arrotino (Knife Sharpener) Fonderia Chiurazzi Life-size Bronze Bust Sculpture

Arrotino (Knife Sharpener) Fonderia Chiurazzi Life-size Bronze Bust Sculpture

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Grand Tour Bronze Bust of the Arrotino (Knife Sharpener) Chiurazzi Foundry, Naples, Italy Early 20th Century This exceptional Grand Tour bronze bust represents the celebrated Arrotin...

Category

Early 20th Century 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.