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30 Surreal Details On Sculptures That Left People In Awe
Interview With Author
There's something eternally fascinating about the art of sculpture, more so when it depicts the human form. Michelangelo, for example, lived and created more than 500 years ago, yet we still marvel at the level of mastery and beauty that he was able to accomplish.
Recently, a Twitter (X) user James Lucas shared some interesting details in sculptures that people sometimes might overlook. For example, did you know that Michelangelo's David has heart-shaped pupils? Scroll down and find more fascinating details about the most famous sculptures in art history!
Bored Panda reached out to the author of this thread, James Lucas. He kindly agreed to tell us more about where he got the inspiration and knowledge about these interesting facts. Read our short conversation with him below!
More info: Twitter (X) | Substack
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#1
Chauncey Bradley Ives Turned Stone Into Wet Silk In "Undine Rising From The Waters" (1880)
RELATED:
#2
Giovanni Strazza's Ability To Make Stone Translucent In His Bust Of The Virgin Mary
#3
In Canova's Timeless Masterpiece, The Wings Of Cupid Are So Delicately Thin That When Sunlight Touches Them They Shimmer With A Gentle Peach Glow
#4
Marble Turned Into Lace
Giuliano Finelli's bust of Maria Duglioli Barberini (1626)
#5
This Intricate Net Was Carved From A Single Block Of Marble By Francesco Queirolo. It Took Him 7 Years
No apprentice would touch the sculpture for fear of the delicate net crumbling in their hands.
#6
The Mind-Boggling Detail Of Michelangelo's Moses
There is a tiny contracted muscle in the forearm, which only contracts when the little finger is raised. Moses is lifting the pinky, therefore that tiny muscle is contracted.
John Dilligaf 1 year ago
anyone else just spend 5 min lifting their pinky and checking their forearm? .......... Just me?
#7
Water Flowing Over Toes
#8
This Is Not A Cotton Yarn. This Is A Mind-Blowing Marble Sculpture By The Greek Artist Argiris Rallias
#9
Bernini Turned Stone Into Flesh
The legendary Italian sculptor was only 23 years old when he completed "The Abduction of Proserpina".
#10
The Marble Veil In Giuseppe Sanmartino's Masterpiece Is So Astonishingly Lifelike That The Artist Was Accused Of Using Alchemy To Turn Fabric Into Stone
Evagating Beewolf (she/they) 1 year ago
I mean of the reasons people were accused of things that don't exist this is one of the fairer ones
#11
The "Veiled Truth" By Antonio Corradini
#12
The Fall Of The Rebel Angels, A 168 Cm (5"6') Statue With More Than Sixty Figures Carved From A Single Block Of Marble By Agostino Fasolato
General Anaesthesia 1 year ago (edited)
To be pedantic or not to be pedantic: Five foot six is 5'6", not 5"6'.
#13
Marble Skin
The superb artistry of Jago, one of Italy's most accomplished contemporary artists, is evident in this "Ajax & Cassandra" stunning hand detail.
*raspberry sound 1 year ago
I want to touch these so bad, but I know everyone else wishes to touch them too, and we would ruin them with our oils, but I'd love to hold his hand.
#14
Stunning Detail Of "Ugolino And His Sons" By Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
#15
The Handkerchief Detail Of The Duc De Montausier's Marble Statue
#16
Michelangelo's David Right Hand
#17
Perseus And The Hidden Self-Portrait Of Benvenuto Cellini
#18
This Statue By Marco D’agrate Depicts Saint Bartholomew, An Early Christian Martyr Who Was Skinned Alive
If you look closely, you’ll notice that’s not a robe that he’s holding. It's actually his dissected skin.
#19
The "Veiled Lady" By Raffaele Monti
#20
Amazing Drapery Detail On "The West Wind" By American 19th-Century Sculptor Thomas Ridgeway Gould
#21
This Is Not A Real Mattress. This Is A Marble Mattress Sculpted By Gian Lorenzo Bernini For The "Sleeping Hermaphroditus"
#22
The Hands Of Daphne Transforming Into Branches In "Apollo And Daphne" By Bernini
#23
Michelangelo's Pieta, Arm Detail. Buonarroti Completed This Masterpiece When He Was Just 24 Years Old
#24
Over 100 Years Before Medical Science Described The Circulatory System, Michelangelo Perfectly Sculpted The Jugular Vein In His Statue Of David
This trait is anatomically accurate: the biblical hero is in a state of excitement, as he prepares to face Goliath.
#25
Emperor Lucius Verus' Beard
GhostlySnail (she/her) 1 year ago
Can we have a source or name of the work/sculpture? Very impressive but without a source I’m wondering if it’s ai.
#26
The Level Of Detail In Håkon Anton Fagerås' Marble Pillows
#27
The "Reading Girl" By Pietro Magni
If you look closely at this sculpture, you’ll notice a solitary tear gracefully rolling down the young reader's left cheek. It shows how much the story in the book has affected her.
Grenelda Thurber 1 year ago
When I was a girl I always read sitting backwards in a chair with one breast exposed.
#28
The Piercing Glass Eyes Of The "Antikythera Ephebe", Unknown Greek Sculptor (C.330 Bc)
#29
Michelangelo's David Has Heart-Shaped Pupils
Sculptures often have a slit in the pupils, adding depth or symbolizing the reflection of light. However, in David's case, his eyes possess distinctly heart-shaped pupils.
BrunoVI 1 year ago
I don't think they're supposed to be heart-shaped. There is no point at the base, like a Valentine; the shape is merely that of a circle with an indent on the top. My bet is he's simply trying to show light reflecting in David's eyes, and use shadow to make the rest of his eyes appear darker.
#30
The Veins On David's Right Hand
Stephanie Did It 1 year ago
I'm one of those fair-skinned people whose veins also get very prominent when stressed or overheated. So much so, that others will sometimes remark on it or ask if I'm all right. This detail makes me appreciate Michelangelo's skill.even more.
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What do you think ?
Daniel Atkins 1 year ago
what boggle me is how some of them did such fine sculpting. Today we have grinding tool for fine work but without them I'm curious of the exact methods. I always think hammer and chisel, but the amount of time polishing is mind boggling.
lla 1 year ago
Sculptor here : You might be surprised with the variety of tools used in the past, such as the (drilling) bow, rifles, et c. But I would say that the main ingredient was time, as time allowed thinking. What today is regarded as slow (and maybe vain) was the right pace.
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Daniel Atkins 1 year ago
what boggle me is how some of them did such fine sculpting. Today we have grinding tool for fine work but without them I'm curious of the exact methods. I always think hammer and chisel, but the amount of time polishing is mind boggling.
lla 1 year ago
Sculptor here : You might be surprised with the variety of tools used in the past, such as the (drilling) bow, rifles, et c. But I would say that the main ingredient was time, as time allowed thinking. What today is regarded as slow (and maybe vain) was the right pace.
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