0 ADD COMMENT 1 LOVE IT SAVE IT
The top famous sculptures of all time
From pre-history and the Renaissance to 20th-century Modernism and the present, we rank the top sculptures of all time
Share on Google+
By Howard Halle
Posted: Friday May 13 2016
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Wiki Media/Alvesgaspar
Famous sculptures can be found all over the city—not just at museums such as the Whitney Museum, the Guggenheim and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but also outdoors, in places like Central Park. And of course these days, public artworks—which are basically sculptures—have become important features of the city’s cultural landscape. But the story of sculpture is a complicated one. For much of art history, sculptures were considered less important than paintings. There’s even a longstanding joke: What do you call sculpture? Something you bump into while backing away from a painting. The fact is, however, that sculpture was perhaps the first form of expression in human history, and has represented more than its fair share of artistic masterpieces and iconic milestones. We rank them in this look at famous sculptures through time—from the caves of the Old Stones to the collection at the Museum of Modern Art.
Top famous sculptures of all time
1
Venus of Willendorf, 28,000–25,000 BC
Venus of Willendorf, 28,000–25,000 BC
The ur sculpture of art history, this tiny figurine measuring just over four inches in height was discovered in Austria in 1908. Nobody knows what function it served, but guesswork has ranged from fertility goddess to masturbation aid. Some scholars suggest it may have been a self-portrait made by a woman. It’s the most famous of many such objects dating from the Old Stone Age.
Photograph: Courtesy Naturhistorisches Museum
2
Bust of Nefertiti, 1345 BC
Bust of Nefertiti, 1345 BC
This portrait has been a symbol of feminine beauty since it was first unearthed in 1912 within the ruins of Amarna, the capital city built by the most controversial Pharaoh of Ancient Egyptian history: Akhenaten. Ascending the throne as Amenhotep IV, Akhenaten changed his name as part of his decision to overturn the established pantheon of Egyptian gods to start his own a religion: An monotheistic cult devoted to the sun god Aten, which was represented as an abstract disk in carvings and wall murals. The life of his queen, Nefertiti, is something of mystery: It’s thought that she ruled as Pharaoh for a time after Akhenaten’s death—or more likely, as the co-regent of the Boy King Tutankhamun. Some Egyptologist believe she was actually Tut’s mother. In any case, her mummy has never been found though recent research suggests that she may be buried in room sealed behind a wall in Tut’s tomb. This stucco-coated limestone bust is thought to be the handiwork of Thutmose, Akhenaten’s court sculptor. Distinguished by a naturalistic style that departs from the usually stylized character of Ancient Egyptian art, the bust was excavated by a German archaeological team and taken back to Germany. It has resided in Berlin since before World War II, and is now considered a symbol of the city.