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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
1970s Peruvian Vintage Modern Sculptures
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Modern Sculptures
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sculptures
Onyx, Marble, Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century Danish Modern Sculptures
Marble, Brass
1930s French Vintage Modern Sculptures
Metal
Late 20th Century American Modern Sculptures
Clay, Ceramic
1970s American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Porcelain
2010s American Modern Sculptures
Ceramic, Stoneware
2010s Mexican Modern Sculptures
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Sculptures
Wood
1990s Italian Modern Sculptures
Stone, Metal
2010s Argentine Modern Sculptures
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sculptures
Glass
1960s English Vintage Modern Sculptures
Leather
1960s North American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Bronze
2010s Mexican Modern Sculptures
Glass, Plastic
1990s American Modern Sculptures
Acrylic, Fiberglass
2010s American Modern Sculptures
Brass
1960s French Vintage Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Sculptures
Steel
2010s Ukrainian Modern Sculptures
Wood, Oak, Ash
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Ceramic, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Sculptures
Steel
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Art Glass, Murano Glass
2010s Korean Modern Sculptures
Porcelain
1990s French Modern Sculptures
Bronze
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Sculptures
Alabaster
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Gold Leaf
2010s European Modern Sculptures
Epoxy Resin
2010s Spanish Modern Sculptures
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Wood, Acrylic
2010s American Modern Sculptures
Plastic
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Enamel
1990s Italian Modern Sculptures
Travertine, Iron
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Ceramic, Paint
1970s American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Aluminum, Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Ceramic, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Sculptures
Wood
20th Century Brazilian Modern Sculptures
Rock Crystal
20th Century Italian Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
1990s Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sculptures
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Sculptures
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Sculptures
Bronze
Late 20th Century Japanese Modern Sculptures
Blown Glass
1980s American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Metal, Brass
2010s Japanese Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Plastic
2010s Mexican Modern Sculptures
Hardwood
1970s Dutch Vintage Modern Sculptures
Brass
1970s American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Earthenware
1980s American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Marble
20th Century Italian Modern Sculptures
Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Sculptures
Aluminum
2010s Mexican Modern Sculptures
Glass, Plastic