There are certain sculptors whose work has become part of art history for their great talent for modeling and impressing the public with their sculptures. Although there have been hundreds of sculptors throughout the centuries, only a few have managed to live on in the minds of all for their skill in recreating figures or their willingness to exceed the expectations of the era in which they lived. Today we want to talk about some of the most influential:
Praxiteles
This sculptor from the 4th century BC is one of the few surviving names among ancient Greek sculptors and, in fact, is considered a benchmark in sculpture from this period. Unfortunately, none of his original works survive, but we can admire his work through the Roman copies that were made. His most famous sculpture is the Aphrodite of Cnidus, which had a great influence on how the female figure would be represented in the following centuries.
Donatello
Donatello is one of the most important Italian sculptors, as his work was fundamental in promoting art during the Renaissance. Thanks to the bronze statue of David, a significant change occurred, as it was the first standing nude since antiquity, and with it, the Renaissance period began.
Gianlorenzo Bernini
With an artistic career spanning more than 60 years, Bernini is perhaps the sculptor who best defines the Baroque. This sculptor was extremely skilled at molding, creating movement, and conveying emotion through his works of art, and as a child he was already creating large marble sculptures. He was also the architect of St. Peter's Basilica, creating its iconic plan and colonnade.
Michelangelo
One of the world's most famous and influential sculptors. His sculpture of David is world-renowned and one of the most important symbols of the Renaissance. This sculptor has influenced and inspired artists and sculptors from all over the world due to his great dedication and talent.
Constantin Brancusi
One of the most influential sculptors of the last century was Brancusi, who is considered a pioneer of modernism. His works are well known for their well-defined, geometric lines. One of his best-known works is Endless Column , one of the works he created to commemorate the Romanian heroes of World War I. However, despite his modernist works, a curious fact is that folk traditions were part of his inspiration when creating.
Sol Lewitt
This sculptor, who became known in the late 1960s, was one of the founders of minimalism. His great passion was modular sculptures, often cubic in nature. Later in his career, he also began to incorporate curved lines and saturated colors into his works, which served as inspiration for many of Lewitt's contemporaries.
In this compilation, we wanted to include sculptors from different eras and artistic movements, and we realize that such a short list would be impossible to include so many other worthy artists. Are you curious about any of them in particular? If so, let us know in the comments.
In Rock&Tools We have the best professional tools for stone carving available to all sculptors and lovers of this art. If you need more information on how to get started and what tools you need, you can find it on our blog. Join our community; you can follow us here and on our social media.
Image source: Wikipedia