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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Sculptures
Murano Glass
1980s American Vintage Modern Sculptures
Chrome
2010s Danish Modern Sculptures
Foam
2010s Danish Modern Sculptures
Foam
2010s Portuguese Modern Sculptures
Marble, Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Crystal
Early 2000s Central African Modern Sculptures
Resin
2010s Portuguese Modern Sculptures
Marble, Brass
20th Century Modern Sculptures
Glass
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
2010s European Modern Sculptures
Bronze
2010s Danish Modern Sculptures
Foam
2010s European Modern Sculptures
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Terracotta
2010s Finnish Modern Sculptures
Wood
2010s Finnish Modern Sculptures
Wood
2010s British Modern Sculptures
Stoneware
2010s British Modern Sculptures
Stoneware
20th Century Modern Sculptures
Laminate, Walnut
2010s Mexican Modern Sculptures
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sculptures
Plexiglass, Wood, Paint
2010s French Modern Sculptures
Stoneware
20th Century Dutch Modern Sculptures
Metal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Sculptures
Acrylic, Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Sculptures
Porcelain
1970s Vintage Modern Sculptures
Bronze
Late 20th Century French Modern Sculptures
Iron
2010s Danish Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Sculptures
Porcelain
2010s French Modern Sculptures
Stoneware
2010s Finnish Modern Sculptures
Oak, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Crystal
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Plastic, Fiberglass
2010s Korean Modern Sculptures
Wood
2010s Korean Modern Sculptures
Wood
2010s Portuguese Modern Sculptures
Marble, Gold Leaf
2010s Danish Modern Sculptures
Other
1970s French Vintage Modern Sculptures
Bronze
1990s Modern Sculptures
Acrylic, Hardwood, Lacquer
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Sculptures
Murano Glass
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Ceramic, Paint
2010s Dutch Modern Sculptures
Scrap Wood, Paint
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Porcelain, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Sculptures
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sculptures
Cement, Concrete
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sculptures
Brass, Metal
2010s Turkish Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
2010s European Modern Sculptures
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century American Modern Sculptures
Composition
2010s British Modern Sculptures
Stoneware
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Sculptures
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sculptures
Amethyst, Rock Crystal, Marble
2010s Central American Modern Sculptures
Wood, Cypress