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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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
Marble
2010s Spanish Modern Sculptures
Stoneware
1970s American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Sculptures
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Modern Sculptures
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary South African Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Steel
2010s Brazilian Modern Sculptures
Quartz, Steel
1990s American Modern Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Modern Sculptures
Marble
Late 20th Century Portuguese Modern Sculptures
Silver
2010s Swedish Modern Sculptures
Glass
2010s European Modern Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sculptures
Bronze
20th Century French Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Sculptures
Bronze
2010s French Modern Sculptures
Sandstone
2010s Dutch Modern Sculptures
Metal
1990s Spanish Modern Sculptures
Plaster
Mid-20th Century Modern Sculptures
Leather
2010s Belgian Modern Sculptures
Stone, Bronze
2010s South Korean Modern Sculptures
Stone, Steel
2010s American Modern Sculptures
Plaster
2010s German Modern Sculptures
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Modern Sculptures
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Hardwood, Paint
20th Century Italian Modern Sculptures
Carrara Marble
1980s North American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Modern Sculptures
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Marble, Alabaster
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Metal
2010s French Modern Sculptures
Sandstone
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
1950s French Vintage Modern Sculptures
Bronze
1970s Peruvian Vintage Modern Sculptures
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Resin, Epoxy Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Sculptures
Multi-gemstone, Iron
2010s American Modern Sculptures
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Modern Sculptures
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Glass
20th Century French Modern Sculptures
Aluminum
2010s African Modern Sculptures
Brass, Steel
1940s French Vintage Modern Sculptures
Bronze
Late 19th Century Antique Modern Sculptures
Steel
Mid-20th Century English Modern Sculptures
Pewter, Metal
2010s French Modern Sculptures
Sandstone
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Cement
Late 20th Century German Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Ceramic, Clay
Early 20th Century Italian Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Marble
1980s American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
20th Century Modern Sculptures
Metal, Iron
2010s English Modern Sculptures
Aluminum
1980s American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Lucite
Mid-20th Century American Modern Sculptures
Bronze
2010s Spanish Modern Sculptures
Brass