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Art Nouveau Sculptures

ART NOUVEAU STYLE

In its sinuous lines and flamboyant curves inspired by the natural world, antique Art Nouveau furniture reflects a desire for freedom from the stuffy social and artistic strictures of the Victorian era. The Art Nouveau movement developed in the decorative arts in France and Britain in the early 1880s and quickly became a dominant aesthetic style in Western Europe and the United States.

ORIGINS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN

  • Sinuous, organic and flowing lines
  • Forms that mimic flowers and plant life
  • Decorative inlays and ornate carvings of natural-world motifs such as insects and animals 
  • Use of hardwoods such as oak, mahogany and rosewood

ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

ANTIQUE ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

Art Nouveau — which spanned furniture, architecture, jewelry and graphic design — can be easily identified by its lush, flowing forms suggested by flowers and plants, as well as the lissome tendrils of sea life. Although Art Deco and Art Nouveau were both in the forefront of turn-of-the-20th-century design, they are very different styles — Art Deco is marked by bold, geometric shapes while Art Nouveau incorporates dreamlike, floral motifs. The latter’s signature motif is the "whiplash" curve — a deep, narrow, dynamic parabola that appears as an element in everything from chair arms to cabinetry and mirror frames.

The visual vocabulary of Art Nouveau was particularly influenced by the soft colors and abstract images of nature seen in Japanese art prints, which arrived in large numbers in the West after open trade was forced upon Japan in the 1860s. Impressionist artists were moved by the artistic tradition of Japanese woodblock printmaking, and Japonisme — a term used to describe the appetite for Japanese art and culture in Europe at the time — greatly informed Art Nouveau. 

The Art Nouveau style quickly reached a wide audience in Europe via advertising posters, book covers, illustrations and other work by such artists as Aubrey Beardsley, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha. While all Art Nouveau designs share common formal elements, different countries and regions produced their own variants.

In Scotland, the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh developed a singular, restrained look based on scale rather than ornament; a style best known from his narrow chairs with exceedingly tall backs, designed for Glasgow tea rooms. Meanwhile in France, Hector Guimard — whose iconic 1896 entry arches for the Paris Metro are still in use — and Louis Majorelle produced chairs, desks, bed frames and cabinets with sweeping lines and rich veneers. 

The Art Nouveau movement was known as Jugendstil ("Youth Style") in Germany, and in Austria the designers of the Vienna Secession group — notably Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann and Joseph Maria Olbrich — produced a relatively austere iteration of the Art Nouveau style, which mixed curving and geometric elements.

Art Nouveau revitalized all of the applied arts. Ceramists such as Ernest Chaplet and Edmond Lachenal created new forms covered in novel and rediscovered glazes that produced thick, foam-like finishes. Bold vases, bowls and lighting designs in acid-etched and marquetry cameo glass by Émile Gallé and the Daum Freres appeared in France, while in New York the glass workshop-cum-laboratory of Louis Comfort Tiffany — the core of what eventually became a multimedia decorative-arts manufactory called Tiffany Studios — brought out buoyant pieces in opalescent favrile glass. 

Jewelry design was revolutionized, as settings, for the first time, were emphasized as much as, or more than, gemstones. A favorite Art Nouveau jewelry motif was insects (think of Tiffany, in his famed Dragonflies glass lampshade).

Like a mayfly, Art Nouveau was short-lived. The sensuous, languorous style fell out of favor early in the 20th century, deemed perhaps too light and insubstantial for European tastes in the aftermath of World War I. But as the designs on 1stDibs demonstrate, Art Nouveau retains its power to fascinate and seduce.

There are ways to tastefully integrate a touch of Art Nouveau into even the most modern interior — browse an extraordinary collection of original antique Art Nouveau furniture on 1stDibs, which includes decorative objects, seating, tables, garden elements and more.

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Style: Art Nouveau
Early 20th Century Bronze Group Entitled Diana the Huntress by a Muller-Crefeld
Located in London, GB
A very fine bronze sculpture modeled as the beautiful Goddess standing with her bow and quiver and gently holding the collar of her hunting hound. The bronze with warm brown patina a...
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Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

French Ceramic Sculpture of Lady Liberty with Early 20th Century Flower Holder
Located in Milano, MI
French ceramic figurine of a lady carrying flowers, made in the early 20th century. The figurine is in good condition, has some chipping due to ageing, detailed photos of which ha...
Category

1920s French Vintage Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Art Nouveau Self Illuminating Female Bust Bronze Sculpture by Micael Levy
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Art Nouveau sculpture by in gilded bronze representing a young girl holding an illuminating casket with panes of marbled red glass resting on a mahogany base. Great example of Art...
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Early 1900s American Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Kpm Berlin Art Nouveau Figure "Europe on Bull" Adolf Amberg
Located in Berlin, DE
KPM Berlin Art Nouveau figure "Europe on bull" Adolf Amberg Impressive large porcelain sculpture by Adolf Amberg from the world famous wed...
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Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Lamp "La Bonne Soupe" by Victor Rousseau, Art Nouveau, circa 1900
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
Important patinated spelter lamp representing a young boy, probably a butcher boy, drinking his soup accompanied by his pit bull / bulldog type dog. The boy is leaning against a gallows holding an electrified green lantern. By Belgian sculptor Victor Rousseau (1865-1954). Art Nouveau / Belle Epoque style. Plate with inscription "La Bonne Soupe par Rousseau" ("The Good Soup by Rousseau") on the front, signature "Rousseau" on the side and stamp "Fabrication française...
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Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Spelter, Metal

“Putto on Doe” Art Nouveau Bronze Sculpture by Charles Korschann
Located in Shippensburg, PA
CHARLES KORSCHANN Czech, 1872-1943 Putto Riding a Doe Medium-brown patinated bronze over an original marble base Signed "CH. KORRSCHANN." and sealed with foundry cachet for Louchet Item # 301LCJ14L A very fine lifetime casting of Charles Korschann's Putto Riding a Doe, the model is steeped in the elements of the Art Nouveau with a distinct celebration of the naturalistic. The putto grasps a simple harp in his hand while a loose garment bound in a belt encircling his waist billows in the unseen wind. The doe looks on with disinterest, unconcerned about its surroundings and almost at one with its rider. It is a carefully composed idealization of the natural world and the potential for harmony between man and beast. The casting is exquisite, typical of work from Louchet, and is finished in a medium-brown translucent patina. Charles Korschann Born in Brno, Monrovia in 1872 as Charles Korschmann, later dropping the "m" to appear less Germanic, he studied at the fine arts academies of Vienna, Berlin and Paris before finally establishing himself in Paris in 1894. He spent his entire career working in Paris, exhibiting at the 1900 Exposition Universelle where he was awarded a Bronze Medal and from 1894 through 1905 at the Société des Artistes Français. His work is very distinctive and immediately recognizable, a most important trait as an artist and a particular accomplishment in light of the output of his contemporaries. He was to sculpture what Alphonse Mucha was to graphics, both men originating from the same province in Czechoslovakia and having similar influences in Paris. It is rather fitting that he would execute a bust of Alphonse Mucha for the Museum of Brno in honor of his accomplishments. Artist Listings...
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20th Century French Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Table Lamp, 1900, Silver Plated Metal , Sign: Schneider, Germany
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Table lamp "Jugendstil, Art Nouveau, Liberty" Materia: silver plated metal Country: France Glass: Schneider To take care of your property and the lives of our customers, the new wir...
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1920s German Vintage Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Sculpture Spirit of Spring by Friedrich Heuler 1920s
Located in Benalmadena, ES
Precious porcelain sculpture attributed to the ceramic designer and sculptor Friedrich Heuler (1889-1959) representing spring with a nymph riding on a satyr, to which she clings to i...
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1920s German Vintage Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Goebel Porcelain Hand Painted Bird Figurine of Baltimore Oriole
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is a Goebel porcelain figurine of a large bird. It depicts a very well done hand painted Baltimore Oriole. The bird is standing up over a branch...
Category

20th Century German Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Majolica Frog with Mandolin Delphin Massier, circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
Art Nouveau Majolica frog who playing mandolin signed Delphin Massier circa 1900. The Massier are known for the quality of their unique enamels and paintings.
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic, Faience, Majolica

Petite Statue Figure of the Nuremberg Water Fountain Goose Man Antique Souvenir
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A beautiful metal figurine of the goose man, a statue in the middle of a water fountain in Nuremberg, Germany. Some wear with a nice patina, but this is old-age. Made of metal. A bea...
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1910s German Vintage Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Bird Figurine-Seagull
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is a Royal Copenhagen porcelain of small tenacious bird figurine known as a seagull. At the base is the Royal Copenhagen hallmark with the number-14...
Category

20th Century Danish Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

French Art Nouveau Bronze Sculpture “Bust of Diana” by Emmanuel Villanis
Located in Shippensburg, PA
EMMANUEL VILLANIS French, fl. 1880-1920 "Bust of Diana the Huntress" Signed in cast along shoulder "E. Villanis" and cold stamped "3 S" verso Item # 212KRG15A An exquisite and expertly cast example of Emmanuel Villanis' Diana the Huntress, it features a delightful light...
Category

20th Century French Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

C. Conndray Bronze Figural Art Nouveau Sculpture Coffee Table with Glass Top
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Beautifully patinated, absolutely exquisite Art Nouveau figural bronze coffee table by C. Conndray. This coffee table is a perfect example ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Four Jugendstil Copper Reliefs, circa 1907s
Located in Wien, AT
Four Jugendstil copper reliefs, circa 1907s Polished and stove enameled Priced and sell per piece The bigger ones are: 31cm x 16.5cm x 2cm The sm...
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Early 1900s Austrian Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Copper

19th Century French Animalier "Guerrier du Caucase" by Antoine L Barye
Located in London, GB
"Guerrier du Caucase" by Antoine L Barye Excellent French bronze study of a mounted Caucasian Warrior in full armour, the bronze with excellent hand chased surface detail and rich green, brown, black and orange patination, signed BARYE. A fabulous example of this important sculpture in optimal condition. Additional Information Height: 20 cm Width: 17 cm Depth: 7 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Foundry: Atelier Barye circa: 1874 Materials: Bronze Book Ref BARYE Catalogue Raisonne des Sculptures by Michel Poletti – Alain Richarme Page no. 78 Description Antoine Louis Barye “The Michelangelo of the Menagerie” These are the words of Théophile Gautier in praise of Barye’s genius. Throughout his life Barye endeavoured to capture the fundamental nature of the animal kingdom in all its diversity, wild or tame, exotic or familiar, cruel or gentle, bringing to life the roaring, trembling, living beasts. The son of a goldsmith, apprenticed to a steel engraver at a young age, Barye found himself making moulds for ornaments, acquiring knowledge that he would later build on to produce his exquisitely chased bronzes. When he was called up at seventeen, he joined the army’s topographic brigade where he used clay to model raised relief maps...
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19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Goebel Porcelain Hand Painted Bird Figurine of a Long Tailed Titmouse
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is a goebel porcelain figurine of a bird. It depicts a very well done hand painted long tailed titmouse. It is standing up over an asymmetrical oval light green base. It is hall...
Category

20th Century German Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Art Nouveau Ceramic Figurines Rstk Amphora Austria Turn Teplitz
Located in Wommelgem, VAN
Art Nouveau ceramic figurines Rstk Amphora Austria Turn Teplitz - a pair Attributed to Riessner, Stellmacher and Kessel for Amphora, Turn Teplitz Austria...
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19th Century Austrian Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic, Porcelain

Erotic / Nude Women Bronze Sculpture Table Bell Push, Austria, 1900´s
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Erotic / nude women bronze sculpture table bell push - Austria 1900´s Talk about hard to find items! This impossible to believe bell push is the only erotic bell push we have ever s...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Majolica Swan Jardiniere Jerome Massier Fils, circa 1910
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica white swan jardiniere signed Jerome Massier Fils Vallauris, circa 1910.
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Majolica

Camille Faure Art Nouveau French Limoges Yellow Green Red Enamels Copper Vase
Located in New York, NY
Early 20th century, Work of Art by the French artist Camille Fauré (1872-1952), this vase in copper is entirely covered in thick vibrant iridescent enamels in gold yellow, red, orang...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Copper, Enamel

Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Bird Figurine-Blue Tit
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is a Royal Copenhagen porcelain of small bright and colorful bird figurine known as a Blue Tit. At the base is the Royal Copenhagen hallmark with the num...
Category

20th Century Danish Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Art Nouveau Bronze Sculpture Dancing Nude Couple La Danse by Charles Samuel
Located in Antwerp, BE
Art Nouveau bronze sculpture dancing nude couple, La Danse by Charles Samuel. Patinated bronze on a marble base. Belgium ca. 1900. This bronze is illustrated in: Beeldhouwkuns...
Category

Early 1900s Belgian Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Bronze Figurine Sculpture of Blindfolded Girl signed, Italian 19th C
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a solid bronze figurine of a young Girl with a blindfold playing Hide and Seek, which we attribute to the Italian sculptor Giuseppe Ferrari ( ...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Art Nouveau Children Group 'Girl with Child', A. Koenig, Meissen Germany, c 1905
Located in Vienna, AT
Extremely rare Meissen Art Nouveau porcelain group: Girl and child in clothes from around 1900, the girl in a blue, polka-dot long-sleeved dress with a white apron kneeling on the fl...
Category

Early 1900s German Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Meissen Art Nouveau Figurine, Baby Child with Picture Book, by Konrad Hentschel
Located in Vienna, AT
Art Nouveau Meissen porcelain figure from the time the model was created: Baby in a dress with legs outstretched sitting on the floor and looking at a picture book. Modeling of the finest quality, extremely loving and lifelike details. Modeller: JULIUS KONRAD HENTSCHEL (Cologne 1872 - Meissen 1907) studied at the academies in Munich and Dresden, worked as a modeler and porcelain painter, from 1889 in the Meissen manufactory. Model U 149 was created 1904. Manufactory: Meissen Germany Dating: made around 1905 Style: Art Nouveau Material: multicolored porcelain, glossy finish Technique: handmade porcelain Hallmarked: underglaze blue Meissen Sword...
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Early 1900s German Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Art Nouveau Lamp in Bronze Signed Alexandre Clerget, 19th Century
Located in Paris, FR
Art Nouveau lamp mounted on a sculpted and chased bronze vase, signed A. Clerget. This lamp carved in relief, presents a seated woman forming a handle, a head of sylvan among vine leaves and grapes winding a spout. The shaft of this 1900 light fixture...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Sculpture "Big Stag After Its Moult", C. Paillet, 20th Century
Located in Paris, FR
Sculpture in bronze with brown patina representing a stag after its moult. It rests on a terrace forming a base, moved by tree stumps and stre...
Category

20th Century French Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Calvet Door Handle Set by Antoni Gaudí
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Calvet door handle set by Antoni Gaudí. Solid cast brass with polished finish. An exact reproduction in both form and material original metalwor...
Category

2010s Spanish Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Brass

Majolica Grasshopper Jardinière Massier, Circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
Rare Majolica Grasshopper Jardinière Massier circa 1900.
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Vintage Life Size Rattan, Bamboo and Wicker Harley Davidson Motorcycle
Located in Chicago, IL
Vintage life size rattan, bamboo and wicker Harley Davidson Motorcycle Great sculptural motorcycle made attributed to the Tom Dixon stores in the 1980s...
Category

1980s Vintage Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan

Art Nouveau Children Group 'Two Girls', by A. Koenig, Meissen Germany, ca 1912
Located in Vienna, AT
Extremely rare Meissen Art Nouveau porcelain group: Two barefoot girls in summer clothes, the older one in a striped skirt and white and blue long-slee...
Category

1910s German Vintage Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

A. De Remière, Friedrich Goldscheider Polychrome Patinated Terracotta Sculpture
Located in Tilburg, NL
A. De Remière, Friedrich Goldscheider Polychrome Patinated Terracotta Sculpture Friedrich Goldscheider: polychrome patinated terracotta sculpture ...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

Porcelain Figurine "Golden Pheasant" by F. Karl Ens, Germany circa 1920
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Lovely hand-painted golden pheasant porcelain figurine from the famous company of F. Karl Ens around 1920. Artfully crafted by one of the old manufactories for porcelain in Germany (...
Category

Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Alabaster Table Lamp Sculpture Attributed to Bastiani, Italy, Late 19th Century
Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
Alabaster table lamp sculpture attributed to Bastiani. Italy, late 19th century Attributed to Ildebrando Bastiani.
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Alabaster

Jugendstil, Art Nouveau, Table Lamp, 1900, Silver Plated Metal and France glass
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Table lamp "Jugendstil, Art Nouveau, Liberty" Materia: silver plated metal and art glass Country: France To take care of your property and the lives of our customers, the new wiring...
Category

1920s French Vintage Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Art Glass

Maurice Bouval Bronze Art Nouveau
Located in NANTES, FR
Maurice Bouval bronze with gilded patina signed M.Bouval and stamp of founder on a marble base portor. Length: base 11 cm Depth: 9,6 cm Height: 30,...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Wall-Mounted Weather Station in Art Nouveau Style Carved Walnut 1910s
By A. de Lambert
Located in Verviers, BE
Wall-mounted weather station in carved walnut made in Belgium by A. de Lambert. High quality mechanism with jeweled movement barometer and thermometer (in centigrade) Unusual design with high relief C-scrolls and flowers in Rococo style (from theArt Nouveau' period) with a lovely walnut case/. Equipment in full working order. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any further questions.

 With best wishes, Geert 
Early Bird Gallery...
Category

1910s Belgian Vintage Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Walnut

Art Nouveau Children Group 'Girl With Child', T. Eichler, Meissen Germany, 1905
Located in Vienna, AT
Extremely rare Meissen Art Nouveau porcelain group: Two girls in clothing of circa 1900, the elder with hair pinned up in a bun in a blue fringed white dress with a yellow petticoat...
Category

Early 1900s German Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Early-20th Century Bronze Vase Entitled "Fée des Bois" by Charles Korschann
Located in London, GB
A very beautiful late 19th Century French Art Nouveau bronze vase decorated with two gilt bronze female figures sitting upon a tree stump. The surface of the vase with excellent detail and very fine colour, signed Korschann and with foundry mark for Louchet Paris Additional information Height: 15 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1900 Materials: Bronze Foundry: Louchet Paris About Charles Korschann Biography Charles Korschann (1872-1943). Born in Brno in Moravia, he attended the Fine Arts Academies in Vienna and Berlin. Although he frequently returned to Moravia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire but a constituent part of Czecho-Slovakia after the First World War, he spent most of his life after 1894 in Paris. He designed many small mostly Art Nouveau subjects including vases, inkwells, clocks, lamps, wall sconces, and jardinières among those with some utility, often with full figures of elegant women, nearly always with hieratic expressions or Symbolist poses. He exhibited at the Salons of the Société des Artistes Français from 1894 to 1905, and was awarded a Bronze Medal at the 1900 Exposition Universelle. He worked with gilt and patinated bronze, bronze with polychrome glazed and unglazed ceramics...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Animalier Bronze Study Entitled "Tired Hunter" by John Willis-Good
Located in London, GB
An excellent late 19th century English Animalier bronze study of a tried hunter in full tack taking a break with his neck turned and back leg rested. The bronze exhibiting very fine ...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Carrara Marble Sculpture Signed A. Batacchi, Italy, Florence, Late 19th Century
Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
Carrara marble sculpture signed A. Batacchi, Italy, Florence, late 19th century.
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Carrara Marble

Art Nouveau Italian Scupture Terracotta, Lioness with Her Lions, A Amorgasti
Located in Valladolid, ES
Amazing sculpture in patinated bronze terracotta, "Lioness with her lions" by Antoine Amorgasti, born in 1880 in Pisa and died in Antwerp, Belgium in 1942. He studied sculpture at th...
Category

Early 1900s Italian Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

19th Century Animalier French Bronze Entitled "Taureau Debout" by Rosa Bonheur
By Rosa Bonheur
Located in London, GB
"Taureau Debout" by Rosa Bonheur. An excellent late 19th Century French animalier bronze study of a standing bull with fine hand chased surface that accentuates the muscle definition of the subject, signed Rosa B. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Measures: Width: 32 cm Height: 18 cm Depth: 11cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1870 Materials: Bronze Book reference: Animals in Bronze by Christopher Payne Page no. 174 DESCRIPTION Bonheur, Rosa (1822-1899) The most popular artist of nineteenth-century France, Rosa Bonheur was also one of the first renowned painters of animals and the first woman awarded the Grand Cross by the French Legion of Honor. A professional artist with a successful career, Bonheur lived in two consecutive committed relationships with women. Born on March 16, 1822 in Bordeaux, Marie Rosalie Bonheur was the oldest of the four children of Raimond Oscar Bonheur (1796-1849) and Sophie Marquis. Bonheur's father was an art teacher who came from a poor family, while her mother, a musician, had descended from a middle-class family and had been her husband's art student. Bonheur's father, who taught drawing and landscape painting, was an ardent member of the utopian Saint Simeon society. The group held idealistic beliefs about the reform of work, property, marriage, and the role of women in society. Most importantly, for the artist's future, the Saint Simeons questioned traditional gender norms and firmly believed in the equality of women. While teaching artistic techniques to his oldest daughter, Raimond Bonheur also encouraged her independence and taught her to consider art as a career. In 1828 Raimond Bonheur joined the Saint Simeons at their retreat outside Paris. Sophie and the children joined him in Paris the following year. Four years later, however, Raimond abandoned his family to live in isolation with his fellow Saint Simeons. Sophie Bonheur died in 1833 at the age of thirty-six. Rosa was only eleven years old when her mother died, but she was aware of the heavy price her mother paid for married life with a man who was more dedicated to his own ideals than to meeting his family's needs. Rosa also saw that her mother's marriage led to poverty and her death from exhaustion. After her mother's death, Bonheur was taken in by the Micas family who resided nearby. Mme Micas and Bonheur's mother had been friends. When Mme Bonheur died, the Micas family paid Raimond Bonheur's debts and cared for Rosa. Their daughther, Nathalie, who would later become an amateur inventor and unschooled veterinarian, and Rosa became enamored with each other. When Rosa Bonheur began her career as a professional artist, she had already been trained by her father who had allowed her to study in all male classes. Rosa also learned by sketching masterworks at the Louvre from the age of fourteen, and later, by studying with Léon Cogniet. From the very beginning, Bonheur's favorite subject was animals. She learned their anatomy completely by dissecting them in local slaughterhouses. She also visited the horse market two times a week. Study of animals by direct observation led to the formation of the realist style in which Bonheur worked. It was for such work that Bonheur obtained written permission from the French government to wear men's slacks. Her working attire also consisted of a loose smock and heavy boots that protected her feet from the dangerous environment in which she painted. The style of dress that the artist adopted for work and home may well have been influenced by her father's attire, which was based on St. Simeonian clothing experiments. Bonheur also cropped her hair, perhaps to facilitate her work. She did, however, always wear dresses for social occasions because she knew that appropriate dress would further her career. Bonheur earned a successful living as a painter of animals. She exhibited at the annual Paris Salon regularly from the age of nineteen in 1841 through 1853, when she was thirty-one. She won the salon's gold medal at the age of twenty-six in 1848 and was commissioned by the French government to paint Plowing on the Nivernais in 1849. In the same year Bonheur and her sister Juliette became directors of l'École gratuite de dessin pour les jeunes filles, a post their father had once held. Bonheur completed her most renowned work, The Horse Fair, in 1855. The successful representation of percherons (a breed native to Normandy) was purchased by Ernest Gambart, a London art dealer whose gallery specialized in work by French artists. He exhibited The Horse Fair in London where Bonheur visited with Nathalie. Queen Victoria requested a private viewing of the painting at Windsor Castle. It would later be purchased in 1887 by Cornelius Vanderbilt and donated to the new Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Bonheur's trip to England allowed her to meet Charles Eastlake, then President of the Royal Academy, John Ruskin, the English writer and critic, and Edwin Landseer, the British animalier. She also toured the English and Scottish countrysides and executed some paintings based on her observations of new breeds of animals found there. Gambart made engravings of Bonheur's work, including The Horse Fair, and sold them in England, Europe, and the United States. Bonheur became one of the most renowned painters of the time. Little girls, such as Anna Klumpke in the United States, even had dolls in her likeness, much as American girls played with Shirley Temple dolls...
Category

19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Late 19th Century Art Nouveau Bust Entitled "Lola" by Emmanuel Villanis
Located in London, GB
Stunning Art Nouveau bronze bust depicting the character "Lola" modelled in the midst of an inquisitive look. The study has a multi hued patination of colours that accentuate the very fine hand chased surface detail. Signed ?E Villanis...
Category

19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Art Nouveau Bronze Sculpture Entitled "Cleopatra and Asp" by Schnauder
By Richard Georg Schnauder
Located in London, GB
A very fine early 20th Century gilt bronze figure of the famous Cleopatra with a snake wrapped around her wrist drinking from a bowl. Exhibiting fine colour and excellent hand fi...
Category

Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Pierre Jules Mene Bronze Sculptures of Hunting Dogs
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is a P.J.Mene patinated bronze sculptures of a pair of hunting dogs. He is considered one of the pioneers of animals sculpture of the 19th century. The sculptures feature a hairy whippet dog standing with its frontal paws over an English Setter dog...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Late 19th Century Art Nouveau Bust Entitled "Cendrillon" by Emmanuel Villanis
Located in London, GB
An attractive late 19th Century Art Nouveau French bronze bust exhibiting deep multi-hued patination and excellent detail. The beautiful character wearing a head dress and a loosely draped blouse representing ’Cinderella’ from the famous French opera. The bronze is signed E Villanis and titled to the fore on its integral bronze base. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Height: 30 cm Width: 19 cm Depth: 12 cm Condition: excellent original condition Circa: 1890 Materials: Bronze Book Ref: Emmanuel Villanis by Josje Hortulanus-de Mik Page No: 35 SKU: 8773 ABOUT Villanis Cendrillon Emmanuel Villanis was an industrious man. He is believed to have created some 200 to 250 pieces. His oeuvre pre-eminently consisted of busts and full body statues...
Category

19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

French Antique Gilt Bronze and Nacre Trinket Dish, 19th Century
Located in Miami, FL
Intricate French gilt bronze work depicting lovebirds sharing a worm above a pearl egg nest upon a tree, while a cobra nestles at the tree base. The work is ...
Category

19th Century Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Guiseppe Carli Signed, Polychrome Ceramic Bust of an Arab Head
Located in Verviers, BE
Head bust face statue from Belgium by Guiseppe Carli, (1915-1987) ceramic. Signed. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any further questions. ...
Category

1930s Belgian Vintage Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Late 19th Century Bronze Entitled 'La Verité Meconnue' by Aime-Jules Dalou
Located in London, GB
An enigmatic late 19th Century bronze study of a seated female nude leaning on her knees, hiding her face, on integral naturalistic canted rectangular base, signed to one side DALOU above the cracked mirror (facing to the rear), the opposing side marked Susse Fres Edts the rear with Susse Freres pastille flanked by the letters H P and S. The title of this subject translates as 'The Truth Revealed' and refers to the young woman inconsolable having seen her true reflection in a mirror, which she has dropped and lies broken on the hard floor. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Height: 14 cm Width: 12 cm Depth: 8 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1890 Foundry: Susse Frères Paris Materials: Bronze SKU: 8790 ABOUT Aimé-Jules Dalou...
Category

19th Century French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Triumphant Man, " Spectacular Gilded Bronze Trophy Cup w/ Male Nude, Christofle
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Large and spectacular, this gilded bronze trophy cup in the Art Nouveau style was sculpted by Eugène Bourgouin for Christofle, and is richly decorated wi...
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

French Bronze Nude and White Alabaster Table Lamp, Circa 1940's
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
French Art Nouveau Bronze nude and white Alabaster vanity table lamp, Circa 1940's.
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Alabaster, Bronze

Table Lamp, 1900, Silver Plated Metal, Sign: Rouseau / Muller
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Table lamp "Jugendstil, Art Nouveau, Liberty" Materia: silver plated metal and art glass Country: France Glass: Muller To take care of your property and the lives of our customers, ...
Category

1920s French Vintage Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Art Glass

Lady in Solid Italian Art Nouveau Marble with Column and Fountain 1910
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Lady in solid Italian Art Nouveau marble with column and fountain 1910 It has some cracks as shown in the photos
Category

1910s Italian Vintage Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Marble

Huge Impressive Art Nouveau Bronze Figural Lady Lamp Signed Henri Honore Ple
Located in London, GB
A superb stunning and very large Art Nouveau Gilt Bronze Dore figural lamp of a lady with flora and foliage decoration and with three branch light fittings. Circa 1900. Signed Henri Ple...
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Aristede De Ranieri Signed Art Nouveau Sculptural Mantel or Table Clock
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Thia antique mantel or table clock was made by the well known Italian born sculptor Archimede de Ranieri, who did much of his work in France and made this in approximately 1900 in th...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Pair of Bird Figurines, Wrens Birds
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is a Royal Copenhagen porcelain pair of small, bold and curious birds figurines known as Wren Birds. At the base are the Royal Copenhagen hallmarks with...
Category

20th Century Danish Art Nouveau Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Art Nouveau sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Art Nouveau sculptures for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage sculptures created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, lighting and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Art Nouveau sculptures made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Austria pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original sculptures, popular names associated with this style include Franz Bergmann, Meissen Porcelain, Emmanuel Villanis, and Goebel Company. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for sculptures differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $25 and tops out at $185,000 while the average work can sell for $2,802.

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