Gandhara Schist
15th Century and Earlier Other Art Style Figurative Sculptures
Stone
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1980s English Neoclassical Porcelain
Porcelain
Antique 1840s English Porcelain
Porcelain
Mid-17th Century Old Masters Animal Paintings
Oil
Antique 16th Century Japanese Decorative Boxes
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
1980s Pop Art Figurative Prints
Screen, Paper
19th Century Hudson River School Landscape Paintings
Oil
Antique 1870s French Renaissance Revival Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Vintage 1910s American Dinner Plates
Silver
Antique 1850s Chinese Qing Metalwork
Bronze, Enamel
Antique 19th Century Italian Neoclassical Pedestals and Columns
Porphyry
Antique Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Tableware
Porcelain
Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Chinese Han Antiquities
Bronze
18th Century Realist Portrait Paintings
Oil
Antique 19th Century French Torchères
Bronze
Antique 16th Century Chinese Chinese Export Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
Recent Sales
15th Century and Earlier Figurative Sculptures
Stone
15th Century and Earlier Other Art Style Figurative Sculptures
Schist
15th Century and Earlier Figurative Sculptures
Other Medium
Finding the Right figurative-sculptures for You
Figurative sculptures mix reality and imagination, with the most common muse being the human body. Animals are also inspirations for these sculptures, along with forms found in nature.
While figurative sculpture dates back over 35,000 years, the term came into popularity in the 20th century to distinguish it from abstract art. It was aligned with the Expressionist movement in that many of its artists portrayed reality but in a nonnaturalistic and emotional way. In the 1940s, Alberto Giacometti — a Swiss-born artist who was interested in African art, Cubism and Surrealism — created now-iconic representational sculptures of the human figure, and after World War II, figurative sculpture as a movement continued to flourish in Europe.
Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon were some of the leading figurative artists during this period. Artists like Jeff Koons and Maurizio Cattelan propelled the evolution of figurative sculpture into the 21st century.
Figurative sculptures can be whimsical, uncanny and beautiful. Their materials range from stone and wood to metal and delicate ceramics. Even in smaller sizes, the sculptures make bold statements. A bronze sculpture by Salvador Dalí enhances a room; a statuesque bull by Jacques Owczarek depicts strength with its broad chest while its thin legs speak of fragility. Figurative sculptures allow viewers to see what is possible when life is reimagined.
Browse 1stDibs for an extensive collection of figurative sculptures and find the next addition to your collection.
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Part of Alejandro Vega Beuvrin’s “Barricada” series, the work is a subversive tribute to the street smarts of citizen activists.
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Chryssa’s 1962 Neon Sculpture Was Way ahead of the Art-World Curve
By working with lettering, neon and Pop imagery, Chryssa pioneered several postmodern themes at a time when most male artists detested commercial mediums.
How to Spot a Fake KAWS Figure
KAWS art toys have developed an avid audience in recent decades, and as in any robust collectible market, counterfeiters have followed the mania. Of course, you don’t have to worry about that on 1stDibs, where all our sellers are highly vetted.
A Giant Wedding Cake Has Us Looking at Portuguese Tiles in a New Light
At Waddesdon Manor, artist Joana Vasconcelos has installed a three-tiered patisserie inspired by the narrative tile work of her homeland. We take a look at the cake sculpture and how Portuguese tiles have been used in architecture from the 17th century to today.
These Soft Sculptures Are Childhood Imaginary Friends Come to Life
Miami artist and designer Gabriela Noelle’s fantastical creations appeal to the Peter Pan in all of us.
Hideho Tanaka Carefully Stitched Together Pieces of Paper to Make This Sculptural Textile
The Japanese fiber artist’s ‘Vanishing and Emerging Wall’ may seem innocuous — but it plays with conceptions of time.