10 Sculptors of the 19th Century That Every Critic Must Know
Art has and always will play a role in shaping the lives and perceptions of civilizations. Sculptors have played an integral role in this influence, shaping our thoughts on royalty, mythology, and religion as their styles developed over the centuries. To understand where we as people have come from and thus to better prepare for where we are headed, it is important to be familiar with some of these influential artists that were working during the 19th century. This is especially true if one is a critic judging the work done today. It is essential to know the artists that have had an influence on the contemporary generation. Hailing from France, Honore Daumier was a Romantic sculptor. Though his fame was achieved primarily due to his satirical printmaking, the politically minded busts that he created helped to carve the way for more stylized sculpture that would develop in the modern periods.
Edgar Degas is a familiar name to most, due to his genius when it came to producing Impressionistic paintings. However, his infamous subject matter, ballet dancers, also found their way into bronze form. “Gates of Hell” and other famous works by Auguste Rodin are still influencing the figurative work of sculptors to this day. His vibrant, yet mysterious pieces adorn many academic campuses throughout the United States. Working late in the nineteenth century was a German sculptor by the name of Max Klinger. “Beethoven Monument” stands among his well known works that play with the idea of relief versus sculpture in the round. Paul Gauguin is another artist whose primary fame rests with his paintings, however he was a sculptor and ceramist as well who produced some powerful work reminiscent of the imagery produced by the German Expressionists.
Important sculptors of the period did not find it below themselves to pay homage to artists that influenced their own styles. J. Dalou did such a thing with his piece, “Monument to Delacroix.” From Norway, sculptor Gustav Vigeland produced a series of works now standing in Frogner Park that addressed unusual aspects of Darwin’s then developing theory of evolution. Other significant artists that achieved notoriety during the nineteenth century that still shape the materials and forms chosen by sculptors today include Rupert Carabin, Louis Barrias, and Camille Claudel.The information doesn’t stop now. Keep looking: Guess The Artist (PHOTO)