Antique and modern sculpture brings a distinctive presence to a collection or an interior. Light travels across a surface, a silhouette changes as you move, and familiar details reveal themselves from a different angle. Living with sculpture means discovering an artwork over time.
At Egidi MadeinItaly, we explore that relationship between material, artistic expression, and the places we inhabit. Our selection invites collectors to discover works that speak to their interests and feel at home in their surroundings.
The materials of sculpture
Marble and stone take shape through carving, as the sculptor gradually removes material. Wood carving also responds to the grain, which can become part of the work’s expressive character.
Clay, by contrast, allows the artist to build and reshape a figure through modeling. Firing transforms clay into terracotta, while plaster can be cast in a mold. Bronze casting brings a further relationship between the original model and the finished work. Lost-wax casting can preserve subtle details in the modeled surface.
For an introduction to these processes, explore the V&A’s guide to sculpture techniques. You can also read our account of Vincenzo Gemito at the Petit Palais, an exhibition we visited in Paris in 2019.
Sculpture and interior space
A sculpture invites you to move around it. For this reason, its placement deserves as much attention as its size. Consider the light, the height of its support, and the space available to appreciate its profile.
A marble bust on a simple pedestal can bring quiet authority to an entrance. Meanwhile, a bronze figure can introduce movement beside a modern chair, and a painted terracotta can add warmth to a restrained room.
Antique and modern sculpture can sit comfortably alongside contemporary design. The most convincing arrangements allow each piece to retain its character while creating a relationship through proportion, texture, or color.
Egidi MadeinItaly and sculpture
Our experience in Rome and during fifteen years in Paris has brought us into contact with collectors and interior designers from different backgrounds. Those exchanges continue to shape the way we select and present sculpture.
Today, our work in Rome includes antique sculpture, nineteenth-century works, and Italian modern sculpture. Our online catalog provides details about individual pieces and a direct way to discuss your interests with us.
Explore our antique and modern sculpture catalog.
Antique sculpture
When choosing antique sculpture, we consider the quality of the carving or modeling, its condition, and the relationship between material, style, and period. Provenance and supporting documentation also help us understand each work.
Marble busts, carved wooden figures, and terracotta sculpture offer very different experiences of surface and form. Traces of age should be considered alongside any restoration and the overall integrity of the piece.
Modern sculpture
Modern sculpture opens a varied field for collectors, from the expressive human figure to experiments with abstraction. In our catalog, the bronzes of Luigi Broggini and Gaetano Martinez offer two distinctive approaches to the figure.
Luigi Broggini and the figure in motion
Our Ballerina by Luigi Broggini is a lost-wax bronze dating to the early 1940s. The raised arms and flaring skirt carry the movement into the surrounding space, while the textured surface catches the light.
The sculpture comes from an Italian private collection. It is recorded in the Broggini Archive and accompanied by an expert report from Stefano Broggini, the artist’s son.
View Luigi Broggini’s bronze Ballerina.
To explore the artist’s work further, read Luigi Broggini’s Dancers and our biography of Luigi Broggini.
Gaetano Martinez and the seated figure
Fanciulla seduta, or Seated Young Woman, by Gaetano Martinez offers a more contemplative presence. This bronze is signed at the base and dates to the 1920s–1930s. It comes from an Italian private collection and is accompanied by a written opinion from Professor Alfonso Panzetta.
View Gaetano Martinez’s Seated Young Woman.
How to choose a sculpture
Collecting sculpture begins with looking closely. Alongside your response to a work, consider its attribution, materials, condition, and provenance. For a bronze, the quality of the casting, the patina, and any foundry marks or edition numbers may also require attention.
For modern works, relevant archive records and expert documentation can help clarify the history of a particular piece. Also consider how you will display it: the support must suit its weight and proportions, with enough space to appreciate the work.
Are you looking for a sculpture for your collection or to bring character to a room? Contact us for details about the works, additional photographs, and guidance on choosing, purchasing, and shipping your sculpture.
Selling a sculpture
Egidi MadeinItaly evaluates and purchases antique, nineteenth-century, and twentieth-century sculpture directly from private owners. Clear photographs of the whole work, its signature, base, and any accompanying documents provide a useful starting point.
Visit Acquisto Antichità, our dedicated Italian website, for information about valuations and direct purchases. Alternatively, contact us in English to discuss a sculpture you would like to sell.