One of the oldest and most beautiful art forms in the world is the skill of marble sculpting. So, how does one rank the beauty of these sculptures? Perhaps it is what they represent— some of the most renowned marble sculptures we have today represent important figures of prehistoric and biblical times. We have compiled the 5 most beautiful marble statues in the world—stick around to see which statues made our list.
- Biblical David (Michelangelo) 1501-1504
With just one single block of marble—Michelangelo sculpted one of the most famous and beautiful sculptures of all time. The story of David can be found in the Bible— a story of bravery, skill, and victory over an enemy of much larger size. The statue stands just shy of 17 feet and weighs an astonishing 12,478.12 lbs! For more information on marble, and other natural stones, visit Marble.com.
- Biblical Moses (Michelangelo) 1512-1515
Comprised with impeccable detail and beauty—it should come as no surprise that this amazing work of art by famous sculptor Michelangelo has made our list. Also known as “The Moses of Michelangelo”—this sculpture is portrayed as Moses seated with his right hand somewhat shielding the commandments. Along with his iconic posture, another interesting aspect of the famous marble sculpture are the horns on Moses’s head. This depiction of Moses derives from the Latin translation of the Bible and is generally thought that this is a simple matter of mistranslation of the texts.
- Jason with the golden Fleece (Bertel Thorvaldsen) 1803
This stunning statue depicts the mythological Jason and the Argonauts—in Greek Mythology, Jason was the hero that lead the quest for the golden fleece. This astonishing marble statue portrays Jason’s victory moment holding the golden fleece—the detail and craftsmanship truly makes this statue a masterpiece. This statue was thought to be the artist’s revolutionary piece that established him as a well-known artist.
- Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (Gian Lorenzo Bernini) 1647-1652
Built by the most renowned sculptor of his time period—Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s ‘The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa’ is hands down one of the most beautiful and spiritual sculptures we have today. The statue depicts Saint Teresa’s spiritual experience of an angel piercing her heart—being filled with the love of God. The statue portrays the angel with arrow drawn back—and Saint Teresa consumed with emotion and a sense of rapture.
1. Pietà (Michelangelo) 1498-1500
Perhaps one of the most beautiful and famous marble sculptures in the world is in the fact— Pietà by Michelangelo. This breathtaking work of art is known as the statue that very much assisted in the uplifting of Michelangelo’s career, so to speak. In fact—it can be debated that this was the piece that made him famous. It was made from just one slab of marble said by Michelangelo to be ‘the most perfect slab of marble he ever worked on.’ The sculpture displays Christ’s body after his crucifixion—his mother holding him with a saddened expression on her face.
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