Facts about Sculpture

1. 07

   Bernini's marble fountain sculpture Apollo and Daphne, completed in 1625, captures the mythological moment of transformation with Daphne's fingers sprouting laurel leaves as she escapes her pursuer.

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2. 06

   Henry Moore's abstract bronze sculptures, created from 1930 onward, pioneered the use of negative space and holes as essential sculptural elements rather than solid forms.

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3. 05

   Rodin's The Thinker, originally titled Le Poète and cast in 1880, stands 31 inches tall and has become the most recognizable sculpture in modern Western art.

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4. 04

   Augustus of Prima Porta, a 6.5-foot marble statue carved around 20 BCE, depicts the Roman emperor with his arm raised in a gesture of address to troops.

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5. 03

   In 1972, artist Carl Andre arranged 120 firebricks in a grid on a museum floor, sparking controversy over whether minimalist arrangements qualify as sculpture.

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6. 02

   Michelangelo's David, completed in 1504, stands 17 feet tall and required 3 years to carve from a single block of Carrara marble.

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7. 01

   The Great Sphinx of Giza, carved from a single limestone ridge around 2500 BCE, measures 240 feet long and 66 feet tall.

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