From Renaissance classics that started the ideal beauty standards to modern-day artworks that break boundaries of material and media, these are 8 of the most gorgeous sculptures from all around the world:
1. David
Perhaps one of the most iconic sculpture in history is Michelangelo’s David. It is truly a powerful sight to behold, standing at 14 feet fall, and depicts the Biblical hero David before his infamous battle with the Goliath. It was commissioned for the Florence Cathedral and was made by a block of marble that was discarded by previous sculptors for being imperfect, but Michelangelo, being an artistic genius and only 26 at the time, transformed it into a paradigm of beauty that has lasted for over 5 centuries.
2. Expansion
The Expansion was created from bronze and electricity by Paige Bradley who conceived the piece when she first moved to Manhattan. She found it particularly difficult to bring her works into galleries, so she revised her practice with her work of art. Using refined wax of a woman meditating, she shattered it and transformed it into the Expansion which appears to be bursting apart with its inner light shining through the cracks.
3. Metalmorphosis
Metalmorphosis is a unique work of art that explores the limits of media and was created by the internationally famous sculptor, David Cerny of the Czech Republic. Well-known for his monumental sculptures, Cerny’s Metalmorphosis is truly a fete of engineering, using a Sheet Metal Bender, nearly 40 pieces of steel grouped into 7 segments and able to rotate, spew water, until the segment aligns to form a giant head.
4. The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
This artwork can be argued as one of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s best and most impressive sculptures. The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa is located in the Cornaro Chapel in Santa maria della Vittoria is Rome and depicts the Saint Teresa of Ávila during the moment where she feels she is pierced through the heart by an arrow. The famous Bernini converts his white marble into what looks like a lifelike sculpture of the saint which affects anyone emotionally when they see it.
5. Christ the Redeemer
Immediately recognisable to many, this artwork overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro and is located atop Corcovado, 700 metres above the city. It was unveiled in 1931, created from reinforced concrete and sandstone, and was voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2017. It was created in the Art Deco style and is the largest of its kind on the world, standing at 38 metres tall and with an arm span of 20 metres across.
6. The Monument of an Anonymous Passer-by
Unveiled in December 2005, this sculpture is located at a busy crossroads in the centre of Wroclaw and symbolises the enslavement of people by communism. Created by Jerzy Kalina for the 24th anniversary of martial law in Poland, it is there to remind how underground organisations like Fighting Solidarity and Orange Alternative protested against the law and communism. It features 14 people rising from the ground and will definitely evoke emotions from all who observes it.
7. Moai
This sculpture is probably one of the oldest in the world and located on Easter Island as massive megaliths that attracts hordes of visitors to the island every year. It was also created between 1400 and 1650 A.D. by island natives, mainly carved by hand from the volcano Rano Raraku. There are about 1000 statues on the island made to honour chieftains and other important people, and nearby half of them are found at Rano Raraku, the main quarry. You can find the rest doted all around the island.
8. Maman
This sculpture turned Louise Bourgeois into a household name as it is one of the largest sculptures in the world and depicts a 30-foot spider made from bronze, stainless steel, and marble. Titled “Mother” in French, it reflects maternal themes and was dedicated to Bourgeois’ mother. It was made in 1999 for the Unilever Series in the Turbine Hall in the Tate Modern and was the inaugural commission for the space.
