Statue of David by Michelangelo

Perhaps the most famous statue in the world today is the Statue of David by Michelangelo.
In 1501 Michelangelo was commissioned to create the David by the Arte della Lana (Guild of Wool Merchant), who were responsible for the upkeep and the decoration of the Cathedral in Florence. For this purpose, he was given a block of marble which Agostino di Duccio had already attempted to fashion forty years previously, perhaps with the same subject in mind. 

Michelangelo breaks away from the traditional way of representing David. He does not present us with the winner, the giant's head at his feet and the powerful sword in his hand. Rather, he portrays the youth as tense with a sense of gathering power immediately preceding the battle. Perhaps he has caught him just in the moment when he has heard that his people are hesitating, and he sees Goliath jeering and mocking them. 

Michelangelo places him in the most perfect contraposto, as in the most beautiful Greek representations of heroes. The right-hand side of the statue is smooth and composed while the left-hand side, from the outstretched foot all the way up to the disheveled hair is openly active and dynamic. The muscles and the tendons are developed only to the point where they can still be interpreted as the perfect instrument for a strong will, and not to the point of becoming individual self-governing forms. Once the statue was completed, a committee of the highest ranking citizens and artists decided that it must be placed in the main square of the town, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, the Town Hall. It was the first time since antiquity that a large statue of a nude was to be exhibited in a public place. Strength and Wrath were the two most important virtues, characteristic of the ancient patron of the city Hercules. Both these qualities of passionate strength and wrath were embodied in the Statue of David.


Statue of David by Donatello

Donatello had an immense impact on Renaissance art and his statue of David was the first free standing nude statue in the Christian era.As one of the greatest Florentine sculptors, Donatello invented the shallow relief technique. In the shallow relief technique the sculpture seems deep but is actually done on a very shallow plane. Greatly influenced by ancient Greek sculpture and Humanist theories, his statues display the human body as a functional organism where the human personality radiates a confidential individuality.

In this scuplture, Donatello does not have David admiring the head of his slain victim, but rather at his own graceful and powerful body. It’s as if the result of his heroic triumph, he has become aware of his body’s beauty and strength. This admiration of thy self is a dominant theme in Renaissance art,Statue.com is proud to offer museum quality, imported replicas of these David statues made from bonded carrara marble as well as many other works from Michelangelo and Donatello.
There is no mistaking the classical elegance that has made the Venus statue one of the most common sculptures used in decorating today. Whether known as Venus or her Greek name Aphrodite, she is the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. She represents affection and the attraction that binds people together in marriage. Her beauty is said to have caused the Trojan War and she was pursued by every God.
In Greek Mythology, her son Eros is the God of love and sexual desire. Her Roman son, Cupid, is the messenger of Love. 

Venus de Milo Statue 

The most famous Venus statue is the Venus de Milo housed in the Louvre in France. Although the sculptor is unknown and the date of origin can only be estimated the second century B.C., it remains a masterpiece with few equals.

In the early 19th Century the statue was discovered in an underground cavern on the Aegean island of Melos by a farmer digging in his field. It was missing its arms but it is believed that one held a shield while the other held a mirror so that she could admire her own beauty. After a unique series of events, the French acquired the statue and renamed it the Venus de Milo.

Birth of Venus

Coming from the sea, is this lovely statue of the Birth of Venus. The ancient legends say that Venus sprung from the foam of the sea. Her arrival at the abode of the Gods threw Mount Olympus into an uproar. Everyone was charmed by her beauty and each asked her hand in marriage. This legend was taken by Botticelli for his famous painting The Birth of Venus, which now hangs in the Uffizi gallery in Florence. 

Venus by Canova

Canova carved the original Venus Italica to replace the ancient Roman Medici Venus, seized by Napoleon in 1802 from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. In the true Neoclassical spirit, Canova decided to reinterpret the ancient work rather than carve an exact replica. Drawing inspiration from other classical statues of the goddess, he made several significant changes in the figure; as a result, his Venus appears more natural and her movement more gentle than the Medici Venus. The Venus Italica was immediately hailed as Canova's masterpiece and a worthy successor to the ancient Venus. When I saw this divine work of Canova, wrote the poet Ugo Foscolo in 1811, I sighed with a thousand desires, for really, if the Medici Venus is a most beautiful goddess, this is a most beautiful woman. 

At Statue.com, we are proud to offer an extensive collection of Venus statues ranging from replicas of the classical pieces above to more modern erotic sculptures. Most of our Venus Statues can be found in our Venus Statue Gallery by clicking on the link below, but you will also find some modern Venus sculptures in the Classical Sculptures Gallery and some large Venus statues in our Life Size Sculpture Gallery.


The Thinker Statue by Auguste Rodin

One of Auguste Rodin’s most famous sculptures is The Thinker Statue, a piece originally conceived to be part of another work. The Thinker was part of a commission by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris to sculpt a monumental door based on The Divine Comedy of Dante. Each of the statues in the piece represented one of the main characters in the epic poem. 

Initially named the The Poet, The Thinker statue was intended to represent Dante himself at the top of the door reflecting on the scene below. However, we can speculate that Rodin thought of the figure in broader, more universal terms. The Thinker is depicted as a man in sober meditation battling with a powerful internal struggle. The unique pose with hand to the chin, right elbow to the left knee, and crouching position allows the statue to survey the work with a contemplative feel.

Statue.com is proud to offer reproductions of this famous statue in both bonded marble and bronze. To view our entire collection of Auguste Rodin Sculpture, please click here.



The Pieta by Michelangelo

The Pieta, which depicts the Virgin Mary holding the body of her son Jesus Christ after his death, has been created in many different forms by various painters and sculptors. Of all the great paintings and sculptures on the Pieta, however, the one by Michelangelo stands out from all the rest. 

Prior to sculpting the Pieta, Michelangelo was relatively unknown to the world as an artist. He was only in his early twenties when he was commissioned in 1498 to do a life-size sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding her son in her arms. It would be the first of four that he would create and the only one he completely finished. It was to be unveiled in St. Peter's Basilica for the Jubilee of 1500. 

In less than two years Michelangelo carved from a single slab of marble, one of the most magnificent sculptures ever created. His interpretation of the Pieta was far different than ones previously created by other artists. Michelangelo decided to create a youthful, serene and celestial Virgin Mary instead of a broken hearted and somewhat older woman. 

When it was unveiled a proud Michelangelo stood by and watched as people admired the beautiful Pieta. However, what was pride quickly turned into anger as he overheard a group of people attributing the work to other artists of his time. That anger caused Michelangelo to add one last thing to his sculpture. Going down the sash on the Virgin Mary, Michelangelo carved his name. He later regretted that his emotions got the best of him and vowed to never sign another one of his works again. 

We hope that you will enjoy our selection of The Pieta by Michelangelo. We have a variety of sizes from which to choose. All of them are imported from Italy and made with exacting standards from bonded carrara marble.

Indian bronze statue for the first time appeared in the form of dancing girl in the Harappan age. The statue is noted for its excellent craftsmanship, which continues to be the hallmark of Indian art. Later, during the Chola period the bronze sculptures characterized with their natural grace, elegance, beauty executed through lost wax process fascinated all and one. These expressive bronze statues form a part of rich Indian heritage and are standing examples of art that has defied time.The bronzes of India defy age, looking as fresh today as they would have, just out of the sculptor's mould, many centuries ago! Indian bronzes speak volumes about the expertise of an art form that was born very long ago and still holds the strings of continuity in the story of Indian tradition.

The earliest mention of the bronze is found in the epic called the Matsya Purana. The findings in the ruins of Mohenjodaro and the discovery of the figure of the dancing girl showed that the sculpture along with the use of metal alloys was well known to people of that period. The ancient treatise on sculpture, the Silpashastra tells us a story that captures quintessence of the art.

Casting
There once lived a king called Vajra. He was a pious and devout man. One day he found himself standing at the feet of sage Markandeya with a request. "Oh! Great sir, grant me but one wish," begged the king. "Teach me the art of iconography so that I may make my own idol for worship, using my devotion and yet another input." Though the sage appreciated King Vajra's sentiment, he was forced to ask him a few questions before handing him the first lump of metal. "Do you know how to paint?" asked the sage. The king did not, but requested that he may be taught it if that was a pre-requisite to learning sculpture. "But for that you need to know how to dance," insisted the sage. To learn dancing, in turn the king was required to have a rudimentary knowledge of instrumental music, which needed a foundation in vocal music. So the king had to begin with the octaves to be able to pour his sensibilities into any other material and make a form out of it. It is no surprise therefore that the beauty of Indian bronzes lies in their efficient capturing of all these artistic forms within the figure created. So close is the association that the different disciplines also share certain common terminology like the word tala. To a sculptor tala means one measure and to a musician or a dancer it refers to one beat, or the measure.
This unified aspect of culture is more than evident when one sees the fluidity of movement in these static figures. With Shiva (one of the gods of Hindu religious Trinity) symbolizing the cosmic forces of nature, dance becomes the epitome of life's rhythmic motion. The sthapathi or craftsman seeks to capture this motion in bronze. The contours of the legs, the arms and the whole body of a standing figure has so much of realism in it that one can perceive not only the previous stance but also the following one.

Wood Sculptures Statues

The art of sculpting wood is one that requires skill, patience and creativity. Wood sculptures are made almost all over India, and the southern states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have an exceptionally grand tradition of wood sculpting. They have become synonymous with intricately carved wooden statues and figures.

Indian Centers of Wood Sculpting
The southern state of Karnataka is famous for its rosewood and sandalwood sculptures. Statues made of shivani teak are also popular. The most popular subject is the elephant. Figures of Hindu gods and goddesses , Christ, Buddha , and of birds and other animals are also crafted from wood by talented artisans. The cities of Mysore and Bangalore are famous for their rosewood sculptures.

In Kerala , sheesham (rosewood) statues are sculpted in Trivandrum and Trichur. Ernakulam and Cochin are important centers of wood sculpture crafting. In addition to rosewood, sandalwood is another popular type of wood used. Sculptors make exquisite statues of animals like the elephant, rhino, tiger, camel, horse. Kathakali dancers, Buddha, Christ and Hindu statues are popularly sculpted.

Apart from Kerala and Karnataka, Tamil Nadu is also known for its wood statues. Skillfully sculpted and carved wooden figures of deities and fertility couples hail from this Indian state.

Canadian Arctic Sculptures

Largest Sand Painting

The largest sand painting measured 6,000 m² (64,583.2 ft²) and was created by Dr. Pranali Patidar together with 150 students of MPKV College of Agriculture (all India), Dhule in  India, on 26 January 2009.

The event was organized by the Lions Club of Dhule and depicted the flag of India, with the outline of India on top of it in blue.

Bronze goddess Sculpture

New York (AP), A bronze sculpture of the Roman goddess Artemis fetched $28.6 million Thursday at auction, a world-record auction price for a sculpture of any period, Sotheby's said.

"Artemis and the Stag," dating from the first century B.C. to first century A.D., was purchased by London art dealer Giuseppe Eskenazi on behalf of a European private collector, Sotheby's spokeswoman Lauren Gioia said.

The price included the seller's commission. The previous auction record for a sculpture was $27.4 million, for a marble version of Constantin Brancusi's modernist "Bird in Space." It was sold in 2005 at a Christie's auction in New York.

Eskenazi was on hand to make the winning bid far exceeding Sotheby's pre-auction high estimate of $7 million. The sculpture was sold by the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, N.Y., to raise funds for other art purchases.

Sotheby's catalog described the 36-inch-high bronze as "one of the finest large Classical bronze figures in America today certainly the most splendid to appear on the market in living memory."

It depicts the goddess of the hunt in billowing gown just after shooting her bow. Her arms are gracefully outstretched and she's flanked by a small stag.

In the last two years Saimir Strati has been recognised by Guinness World Record officials as having created the world’s largest nail mosaic with 500,000 industrial nails on a eight metre square wooden board and the largest, three-dimensional toothpick mosaic using 1,000,000 toothpicks.

Largest Cork Mosaic

His work, named "Romeo with a crown of grapes playing the guitar while dancing with the sea and the sun" is a homage to life around the Mediterranean. He worked 14 hours of work a day for 28days and completed his project on Thursday.

"I love mosaics, they are a dying genre. I follow the same technique used 3,000 years ago," said Saimir Strati. "A mosaic requires you to work for a long time and keep the emotion alive." 

"I also wanted to appeal to Mediterranean countries not to create mosaics based on computer pixels, but as our forefathers did. The Mediterranean is the home of the mosaic."

His 25-year-old mosaic collection features one created with fragments of egg shells and a portrait of Elvis Presley, made with compact discs. The artist did his latest work in a local hotel, where he told visitors: "Drink, because I need the corks."

Worlds Smallest Sculpture

I saw this guy on the news yesterday, working on sculpture that fits inside the eye of a needle. The English artist Willard Wigan works in-between heartbeats so that he doesn't destroy the piece he is creating. He uses rice or grains of sand and a surgical blade to create his "micro sculpture".

Artists are usually trying to get attention by going MASSIVE, so it's good to see some small art getting attention too, even if it is ridiculously small art. They're so small that he uses the hair from flies as a paint brush to decorate them!

There has been smaller sculptures created, but they were made with lasers. In 2001 Japanese scientists made a tiny sculpture of a bull that measured 10 micrometers by seven (a micrometer is one-thousandth of a millimeter). Wigan's works is created by hand though.

Here's some quotes from the micro sculptor..

Though my sculptures are quite small, it's important for people to realize that I am life-size. Of course, at times, when I'm working on a piece, I might come to believe that I myself am microscopic. That's how involved in my work I become. My tiny world becomes everything to me.

Willard Wigan

Toothpick Portrait

For those that are thinking about getting their portrait painted, but want something a little different, why not get a toothpick portrait? ;-)The San Francisco based artist Steven J. Backman creates sculptures and wall pieces made of toothpicks.

"I find toothpicks and glue to be the most challenging mediums to create unusual pieces of abstract and contemporary art. Unlike ordinary wood, toothpicks have personalities of their own that evolve once they are incorporated into a mass of formed space." Steven J. Backman

The artist has a summer promotion on until the end of September too, with toothpick portrait commissions available for about $500 USD.

Toothpick Sculpture of the Golden Gate Bridge

I have mentioned the toothpick artist(Steven Backman) before, with his toothpick portraits.He has since been working on larger and more complex toothpick sculptures of boats, cable,cars, and bridges, but he has also started going micro.

He has made a toothpick sculpture of the Golden Gate Bridge from 30,000 toothpicks which is now in the "Ripley's Believe it or not" museum in Hollywood, which can be seen Here..Steven has also recently created another version of the Golden Gate Bridge, but this time with one toothpick! (see pic in post) Measuring 1 7/8”(L) x 1/8”(W) x 3/4”(H), it was sculpted from 1 toothpick and glue.

Allan Houser Garden Sculpture

Allan Houser Sculpture
The Allan Houser Sculpture Garden offers you the opportunity to experience the work of an American Master. The garden features 85 of Houser's most famous bronze, steel, and original stone sculptures, set amidst the lush juniper pines and beautiful New Mexico skies. The on-site gallery features an additional 100+ sculptures, drawings and paintings - all works by Allan Houser. It is truly a memorable experience. Tours are by appointment only.

How To Make Sculptures How to Begin Wodges of clay

People often ask how to make a sculpture.
I make all my sculptures first in clay because it's easy to use and the process allows for constant alteration - great for me, since I rarely know what the sculpture will be like before I start. I can rapidly add and subtract clay from a piece when necessary. When the sculpture is finished I dry it out and fire it, but that's just how I make a sculpture. It isn't essential, as a mould for casting can be taken from wet clay just as well. Once cast, all of the details of the surface of the ceramic sculpture are reproduced in the bronze.

Bag of clay
This is how the clay arrives. It's great if the bag is intact and the clay is still soft and malleable. It must be kept damp or it will be unworkable and crack. As soon as I begin work it has to stay mostly covered to prevent drying out.

Wodges of clay
As soon as the clay comes out of the bag it needs to be rolled and pummelled to make it fresh, elastic and workable. I do this simply by giving each hand-sized wodge a good squeeze, then I make a pile and wonder how to make a sculpture with these wodges.

The sculpture begins

From the wodges I tend to make very simple sausages and form them into a doll shape - very simply. Here, the torso and legs have begun and I need to decide where to put the arms. This is fun! They could go anywhere... anything could go anywhere!

Filling and rounding the larger forms

I am feeling ok about where the various parts are. Drawing a line along the centre of the figure is how to make a sculpture feel balanced. I can wait till later to decide what the small forms like hands, face and breasts should be doing.

Back - filling out
I reposition the sausages a bit and fill out the forms with more clay. The head needs repositioning and I do this by adding and taking away rather than pushing. The centre line helps me position the arms correctly.

Back - the forms are coming on
The shapes read quite well and the limbs have the right amount of weight. The head is resting on the arm, which in turn is resting on the foot. The whole thing needs pulling together though, and only when I've done this will I know if the sculpture is ok or not.

Back - final details
I add the hair and experiment with it. Eventually I settle on a line which nearly follows the arm movement. The serrations on the hair need to be crisp to make a contrast. Now the other forms need to be honed to make them as round as I want them to be and I need to work carefully on the small forms until they are finished.
It's finished
The larger forms are set off now by the smaller, detailed ones. I added the breasts last - like a punctuation mark. The face is hard to get right. I don't want it to look either pretty or ugly, I just want it to be there. I check that the surface doesn't clash with the form and then allow the sculpture to dry out - slowly - before it is fired. And that's how to make a sculpture in ceramic!