Modern Sculptures
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
Early 20th Century Italian Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
Early 20th Century Italian Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Ceramic, Paint
2010s French Modern Sculptures
Sandstone
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Aluminum
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Aluminum
Early 20th Century Italian Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
Early 2000s French Modern Sculptures
Metal
20th Century Unknown Modern Sculptures
Plaster
Late 19th Century Antique Modern Sculptures
Steel
2010s American Modern Sculptures
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sculptures
Plastic
2010s French Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Italian Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
2010s African Modern Sculptures
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Sculptures
Porcelain
Early 2000s Italian Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
2010s American Modern Sculptures
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Hardwood, Walnut
20th Century Danish Modern Sculptures
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Hardwood, Mahogany, Maple, Oak
2010s American Modern Sculptures
Stone, Limestone
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Sculptures
Porcelain
2010s French Modern Sculptures
Brass
1960s Danish Vintage Modern Sculptures
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Sculptures
Composition
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sculptures
Crystal
1990s Italian Modern Sculptures
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Ceramic, Stoneware
2010s American Modern Sculptures
Steel, Iron
1960s Greek Vintage Modern Sculptures
Brass
1980s Unknown Vintage Modern Sculptures
Stone
Mid-20th Century German Modern Sculptures
Plaster, Wood
2010s American Modern Sculptures
Metal
Late 20th Century American Modern Sculptures
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Sculptures
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Sculptures
Paper
1950s Spanish Vintage Modern Sculptures
Plaster
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Modern Sculptures
Steel
Mid-20th Century Sicilian Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
Early 2000s Hong Kong Modern Sculptures
Metal
Early 20th Century Danish Modern Sculptures
Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Modern Sculptures
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Sculptures
Leather
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Sculptures
Ceramic, Majolica
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Sculptures
Paper
2010s Dutch Modern Sculptures
Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Modern Sculptures
Marble
2010s Turkish Modern Sculptures
Glass
Late 20th Century North American Modern Sculptures
Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Balinese Modern Sculptures
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sculptures
Crystal
1960s French Vintage Modern Sculptures
Wood
Late 20th Century Zimbabwean Modern Sculptures
Stone
Early 2000s Spanish Modern Sculptures
Ceramic, Porcelain, Wood
2010s American Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
20th Century French Modern Sculptures
Wood, Pine