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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Sculptures
Blown Glass
20th Century Italian Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
21st Century and Contemporary Afghan Modern Sculptures
Crystal, Multi-gemstone, Rock Crystal, Tourmaline, Other
2010s Canadian Modern Sculptures
Wood, Wenge, Cedar
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Sculptures
Glass, Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sculptures
Murano Glass
1990s Spanish Modern Sculptures
Plaster
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Sculptures
Murano Glass
Late 20th Century American Modern Sculptures
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Marble
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Murano Glass
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Murano Glass
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Murano Glass
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Murano Glass
1980s American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
1970s American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Brass, Chrome
Mid-20th Century French Modern Sculptures
Porcelain
1990s French Modern Sculptures
Granite, Brass
Early 2000s Modern Sculptures
Metal
2010s French Modern Sculptures
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sculptures
Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Sculptures
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Plastic
2010s French Modern Sculptures
Stoneware
20th Century French Modern Sculptures
Bronze
1980s American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Bronze
1970s Mexican Vintage Modern Sculptures
Bronze
2010s German Modern Sculptures
Metal
1980s French Vintage Modern Sculptures
Acrylic, Wood
Early 2000s Indonesian Modern Sculptures
Stone, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Modern Sculptures
Crystal, Multi-gemstone, Rock Crystal, Other
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Sculptures
Porcelain
1980s French Vintage Modern Sculptures
Bronze
20th Century Modern Sculptures
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Sculptures
Bronze
2010s American Modern Sculptures
Pottery, Wood, Hardwood, Walnut, Reclaimed Wood, Scrap Wood
21st Century and Contemporary South African Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Afghan Modern Sculptures
Crystal, Multi-gemstone, Rock Crystal, Other
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Sculptures
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sculptures
Resin
2010s Mexican Modern Sculptures
Hardwood
Late 20th Century American Modern Sculptures
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Sculptures
Brass
20th Century American Modern Sculptures
Metal
Early 2000s American Modern Sculptures
Bronze, Steel
Late 20th Century American Modern Sculptures
Ceramic, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sculptures
Sandstone
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Sculptures
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Sculptures
Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary South African Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Marble, Alabaster
1960s French Vintage Modern Sculptures
Brass
1950s French Vintage Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century French Modern Sculptures
Steel
1960s Swedish Vintage Modern Sculptures
Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Sculptures
Shell
1970s Austrian Vintage Modern Sculptures
Metal
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Sculptures
Marble, Steel, Chrome
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Velvet
Mid-20th Century Modern Sculptures
Teak