Antique Resources Figurative Sculptures

This late 19th-century carved wooden sculpture is a lifesize depiction of a young nobleman of the Italian Renaissance. The piece is made entirely from wood and carved gesso under an ebonized finish, giving it the illusion of an oxidized bronze sculpture. The young man is posed in a classic Contrapposto stance, which is an Italian term that means "counterpoise". This term usually refers to a standing human figure carrying its weight on one leg so that the opposite hip rises to produce a relaxed curve in the body, a dynamic pose that is most associated with Renaissance art. He establishes his stance with a hand on his large belt and one hand in the air holding a torch. This Renaissance revival piece is highly detailed through intricate workmanship, down to the Lion of Saint Mark...

Meticulously carved from beechwood, this cherub pair recalls the iconic Renaissance style of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Better recognized by their Italian name, putti—the singular putto refers to the Latin putus, meaning “boy” or “child”—these types of figures often recur in religious artwork as symbols of God...

Early 19th Century Georgian Pair of Dummy Boards. Pinewood with oil-painted fine details. Charming and scarce pieces, it took the owner a couple of years to find them. There is no ag...

From the 1700s through the early 1800s, European aristocrats developed a fascination with ancient Egyptian culture and design that culminated in a full Egyptian Revival. Prominent figures such as Marie Antoinette and Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned rooms decorated with Egyptian motifs. This cultural moment reflects a fascination with a sophisticated civilization of great artists and pharaohs. The Regency era possessed very little knowledge of the Great Pyramids or hieroglyphics, a quality that lent Egyptian art interpretation a compelling air of mystique. This English Regency period gilt carving depicts a popular figure of borrowed Egyptian motif: the Sphinx. Recognized among educated circles as a symbol of brilliance in the ancient past, the Sphinx was well-known as a mythological creature who destroys those who failed to answer her riddle. Such a piece as this, excellent in detail and craftsmanship, may have once graced the mantle of a gentleman’s study or been exchanged as a gift between British scholars. The beautiful gold surface has been achieved by an artful combination of gilt and gesso; the art enthusiast will appreciate the intricate texture realized in the carving’s hair and tail as well as the delicate detailing of the saddle. Borrowing from the Egyptians, the Greeks had their own interpretation of the Sphinx. Greek mythology chronicled the Sphinx as being the daughter of Orthous and Chimera or Laius and attributed the riddles, which she proposed, as having been taught to her by the Muses. Crowned with a Grecian diadem and having a refined expression, she evokes an ancient yet reserved intellect. For the modern-day enthusiast of classical Greek art...