Sculptures of metal in the past and now

Sculpture is one of those kinds of creativity that, unlike fine art, is loved by most people. After all, looking at the figures in the volume is much more interesting and easier than figuring out something, looking at the planar image. Especially popular nowadays are sculptures made of metal. Unlike ceramic and plaster figures, creativity from metal has become very popular. Such figures are used both for the decoration of the urban space (monuments, fountains, statues), and for decorating the interior (decorative figurines, bas-reliefs, sculptures).

The history of the appearance of sculpture

People began to make sculptures of metal in the XIV century BC. E. At that time the metal was no longer a luxury and was widely used for making household items, weapons and ornaments. Artisans improved their skills and over time began to produce not only utensils that had a functional purpose, but also art objects that bore only decorative meaning.

The art of forging is one of the first techniques of metal processing. The first sculptures, which carried decorative meaning, were totems and other statues bearing a religious character. Over time, metal figures acquire a secular orientation, the first statues and monuments appear. When production began to fail to cope with the number of incoming orders, forge craftsmen came up with a way of casting. In this way, a large number of products could be produced quickly.

Sculptures for interior decoration

People have always liked to decorate their interior, so for a long time, figures from metal occupy one of the places of honor in decorating homes. Now it is common to divide sculptures into two types: decorative and utilitarian. Decorative statues often stand in houses with a large area. But utilitarian figures can be found even in small rooms.

There are several ways to get decorative metal sculptures:

• casting;
• forging;
• Technique "openwork metal".

Sculptors for decoration of the exterior

Sculptures for the exterior are divided into two types: small and large. Sculptures made of metal of small forms are mostly decorated with courtyards of private houses. Often they make up one image with fountains or with flowers. Sculptures of large dimensions include monuments, memorial pillars. Such decorative elements are called not only to decorate the city, but also to preserve the memory of the past generations. It is worth mentioning that the sculpture also includes a bas-relief. Such decorative pads are often adorned by municipal institutions and houses of wealthy merchants of past years. In our time, the bas-relief lost its former relevance, but it remains part of the history of the arts of past centuries.

Modern trends in sculpture

Nowadays, metal sculptures are extremely popular. And there is demand for both interior and exterior objects of art. The difference of modern sculpture from the works of masters of past years lies in the utilitarianity of contemporary creativity. Artistic processing of metal is increasingly present in art objects. The openwork sculpture is in demand both in Russia and abroad. Modern masters often combine forged products from metal with vegetation. In the interior it can be a stand for flowers, often complemented by fountains. In the exterior, these are metal sculptures that act as a framework for the topiary. Masters of our time are trying to outdo their predecessors and are looking for new techniques for creativity and new materials for their execution. Therefore now in parks you can see bizarre elephants, giraffes or horses, welded from a wire. It's great that people go ahead and are not afraid to experiment.