Can artists still create amazing marble sculptures?

A marble relief sculpture is a form of sculptural art in which figures, designs, or scenes are carved into a flat or slightly rounded marble surface, creating a raised or recessed effect. Relief sculptures are a way to give a three-dimensional appearance while still being primarily attached to a flat background.

Types of Relief:

Bas-Relief (Low Relief):

1.The carving is shallow, and the projection from the background is minimal.

        2.Often used for intricate details, such as in ancient Greek and Egyptian art.

High Relief (Haut-Relief):

1. Figures or elements are carved deeply and may project significantly from the background, creating a more dramatic and three-dimensional effect.
2. Common in Renaissance and Baroque art.

Sunken Relief:

1. The design is carved into the surface rather than projecting outward.
2. Often seen in ancient Egyptian monuments.

Intaglio Relief:

1. The design is deeply recessed below the surface, creating shadows for visual effect.

Characteristics of Marble in Relief:

• Durability: Marble is hard and dense, making it ideal for fine details.
• Finish: When polished, it has a luminous surface that enhances the depth and texture of carvings.
• Versatility: Artists can achieve a range of effects, from fine, delicate lines to deep, dramatic contours.

Historical Significance:

• Ancient Civilizations: Cultures like the Greeks and Romans extensively used marble reliefs in architecture and monuments, such as friezes on temples.
• Medieval and Renaissance Periods: Marble reliefs were integral to religious art, often decorating altars and cathedrals.
• Modern Times: Contemporary artists sometimes use marble reliefs for abstract and conceptual works.

Would you like to explore examples, techniques, or tools used for creating marble relief sculptures?

 Go out to see or simply google the work of brilliant artists. I really adore the work of contemporary artists. There are many artists and manufacturers in the world that knows how to create a beautiful sculpture. The reason artists mostly prefer using marble to make the sculptures is because of the additional beauty and shine it offers. The marble sculptures are really mesmerizing. If you are looking to have any creative marble sculpture, then I can help you find the best one by suggesting here some of them.

How is a marble sculpture made?I think making a marble sculpture sounds fabulous.

Well, first?

The most important thing may be to start of being inspired by the perfect subject.I like blue marbles best, but you have to select a marble that speaks to you.

Next you have to figure out what material you will be making your marble sculpture from. What medium or mix of media are you proficient at working with?

Glass might work, but the subject marble is already glass, so it may feel a little literal.

Maybe Spray painted plastic? Aluminum? Assembled found objects, somehow compressed into a sphere?!

Maybe you could cast a huge sculpture ( poured into your small sculpted mold and built to ordered scale) out of steel in the center of a park and work to get that glassy finish using industrial paints.

You have a lot of choices to make.

Once you make the choices, you probably need funding. If you don’t have unlimited money to make your gigantic marble statue, you will probably need to get someone to commission it as a public work. Or maybe to apply and be awarded a grant. Or collaborate with an Organization that places public works.

Once you sort this out, you can finally make the marble.

And when your marble is complete , finally, there will be a big ribbon cutting or opening party.

I hope you feel more informed and confident and ready to make whatever version of a marble statue interests you, personally.

I guess you could even chisel the marble — out of marble!

Why is the most surviving classical Greek sculpture made of marble?

Because bronze statuary (the majority) was melted down and their metal repurposed.

That’s what happened to the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, after it fell due to an earthquake. If it were made of stone, at least some of its parts would still be lying around for archaeologists to find.

As for why marble was preferred to other kinds of stone, the reasons are multiple:

• Due to its geological past, Greece is full of marble, making the material readily available in several locations.
• Granite and other hard rocks are much more difficult to carve than marble.
• Being white and smooth, marble offered itself to painting more than colorful or porous rocks, such as sandstone (all ancient statuary was painted).
• Marble must have satisfied the aesthetic criteria of ancient Greeks.

The original bronze sculptures had intrinsic value and were melted

The Greeks preferred working in bronze. Many of the Greek sculptures we have today are marble Roman copies of original Greek bronzes. The bronzes were melted and sold during times of economic hardship.

Yes. They are just underrated because artists now have so much resources at display which make their work much easier. And here are a few:

• Sleeping Hermaphroditus by Damien Hirst (2007)

Hirst’s reinterpretation of the classical Sleeping Hermaphroditus is a striking blend of ancient themes with modern artistry. It presents a lifelike figure of a sleeping hermaphrodite, combining the delicacy of marble with the artist’s contemporary vision.

• Awilda by Jaume Plensa (2012)

This monumental marble head, located in the gardens of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in England, represents a young girl from Santo Domingo. Plensa’s work often explores themes of identity and humanity, and “Awilda” is a stunning example of his ability to convey emotion and presence through marble marble