sculpture

sculpture Art of creating forms in three dimensions, either in the round or in relief. Techniques employed include carving (in wood, stone, marble, ivory, etc.), modelling (in clay, wax, etc.), or casting (in bronze and other metals). The history of sculpture parallels that of painting. The early civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and the Far East were rich in sculpture. The Greeks developed a style of relief and free-standing sculpture. Roman sculptors were profoundly influenced by the Greeks, but forsook the Greek ideal in portraiture, which they enriched with individual characterization. Medieval European sculpture was frequently a feature of Romanesque and Gothic churches, many of which were covered with carvings. Highly stylized in the Romanesque period, this architectural sculpture became more representative in the Gothic era. Prior to the Renaissance, individual sculptors rarely achieved fame. The works of such masters as Ghiberti, Donatello, and Michelangelo enriched the Florentine Renaissance. High Baroque sculpture is exemplified in the works of the architect-sculptor Bernini in Rome. Pierre Puget was the movement's leading exponent in France where, in the 18th century, it was superseded by neo-classicism. This extended into the 19th century, when it was rivalled and replaced by a movement of realist sculpture, such as that of Rodin. African, Aztec, and other ethnic and ancient sculpture stimulated great modern sculptors such as Picasso, Modigliani, Brancusi, and Moore.