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Brutalist Sculptures

BRUTALIST STYLE

The design of brutalist furniture encompasses that which is crafted, hewn and worked by hand — an aesthetic rebuke (or, at least, a counterpoint) to furniture that is created using 21st-century materials and technology. Lately, the word “brutalist” has been adopted by the realms of furniture design and the decorative arts to refer to chairs, cabinets, tables and accessory pieces such as mirror frames and lighting that are made of rougher, deeply textured metals and other materials that are the visual and palpable antithesis of the sleek, smooth and suave. 

ORIGINS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN 

  • Use of industrial materials — tubular steel, concrete, glass, granite
  • Prioritizes functionalism, minimalism and utilization of negative space
  • Spare silhouettes, pronounced geometric shapes
  • Stripped-down, natural look; rugged textures, modular construction
  • Interiors featuring airy visual flow and reliance on neutral palettes

BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

VINTAGE BRUTALIST FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined by architecture critic Reyner Banham to describe an architectural style that emerged in the 1950s featuring monumental buildings, usually made of unornamented concrete, whose design was meant to project an air of strength and solidity.

Le Corbusier essentially created the brutalist style; its best-known iterations in the United States are the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was designed by Marcel Breuer, and Paul Rudolph's Yale Art and Architecture Building. The severe style might have been the most criticized architectural movement of the 20th century, even if it was an honest attempt to celebrate the beauty of raw material. But while the brutalist government buildings in Washington, D.C., seemingly bask in their un-beauty, brutalist interior design and decor is much more lyrical, at times taking on a whimsical, romantic quality that its exterior counterparts lack.

Paul Evans is Exhibit A for brutalist furniture design. His Sculpture Front cabinets laced with high-relief patinated steel mounts have become collector's items nonpareil, while the chairs, coffee table and dining table in his later Cityscape series and Sculpted Bronze series for Directional Furniture are perhaps the most expressive, attention-grabbing pieces in American modern design. Other exemplary brutalist designers are Silas Seandel, the idiosyncratic New York furniture designer and sculptor whose works in metal — in particular his tables — have a kind of brawny lyricism, and Curtis Jere, a nom-de-trade for the California team of Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels, the bold makers of expressive scorched and sheared copper and brass mirror frames and wall-mounted sculptures.

Brutalist furniture and sculptures remain popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.

Find authentic vintage brutalist chairs, coffee tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Brutalist
Vintage Mid-Century Brutalist Lucite Freeform Sculpture
Located in San Diego, CA
A sculptural interpretation of an organic shape that is enigmatic, poised and unpredictable. A study in form, this vintage lucite piece dates to the early 1960s. In essence it is min...
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Lucite

Fannie Phillips Brutalist Style Metal Bird Sculpture
Located in Winnetka, IL
This is a heavy abstract bronze? Metal sculpture of a pair of birds by Fannie Phillips and inscribed on brass plate on stone plynth.
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Brutalist Metal Sculpture of Female Ballet Dancer
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Brutalist metal sculpture of female ballet dancer.
Category

Mid-20th Century Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Bernard Dejonghe, Sandstone TOTEM, France, 1980
Located in Catonvielle, FR
Bernard Dejonghe (1942), exceptional Totem in Sandstone, France, 1980. Signature incised right bottom Unique piece.
Category

1980s French Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Sandstone

Carlo Nason Cenedese Fanciful Vetri Figure
Located in Sharon, CT
A black Scavo over clear glass Murano figure. Incised signature/date to underside.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Glass

Brutalist Bronze Unicorn Sculpture Attributed at Pal Kepenyes
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Circa 1980 We offer this Brutalist Bronze Unicorn Sculpture attributed at Pal Kepenyes.
Category

1980s Mexican Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Brass

Abstract Bronze Sculpture by Joseph Burlini Titled Icarus Signed on Lucite Base
Located in Winnetka, IL
A bronze sculpture by Joseph A. Burlini signed J. A. Burlini etched in the lucite base. Done in the Brutalist style.
Category

2010s American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Large Modern Brutalist Bronze Iron Sculpture 21st Century Signed
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Large bronze iron Brutalist style modern sculpture by Oklahoma City artist Basil Martin, circa 2001. Beautifully crafted and can be displayed at any angle. We love the angle as shown...
Category

Early 2000s American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze, Iron

Brutalist Bronze Sculture, Signed A. Benson, 1964
Located in Raleigh, NC
A striking vintage cast bronze very well executed. A stunning sculpture from all angles. A wonderful brutalist example weighing about 140 pounds. Signed a. benson 64
Category

Mid-20th Century Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Collector’s Martial Arts Stone Weight — 19th Century, China
Located in Antwerpen, BE
A sculptural artifact with commanding presence, this 19th-century Chinese martial arts stone weight embodies strength, discipline, and timeless craftsmanship. Originally used for phy...
Category

Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Stone

Metal abstract construction by the Belgian artist Paul Van Gyseghem
Located in Haaltert, BE
Large metal abstract construction by the Belgian artist Paul Van Gyseghem (1935). Van Gyseghem is an important sculptor with works in the collection at the SMAK museum in Ghent. The ...
Category

1960s Belgian Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Brutalist Iron Sculpture - Italy - 1950s - Attributed to Marcello Fantoni
Located in Milano, IT
Keywords: iron sculpture, attributed to Marcello Fantoni, Italian brutalist art, 1950s sculpture, mid-century sculpture, welded iron, Tuscan sculpture, unsigned work, Italian design,...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Iron

1960s Owl Sculpture On A Painted Black Base
Located in Tarrytown, NY
1960s Owl Sculpture On A Painted Black Base Willem DeGroot Style Wood Base has some wear
Category

1960s Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Vintage Brutalist Mixed Media Sculpture in Copper and Glass
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Handmade mixed media sculpture. Done in a mid century brutalist style. Phenomenal mix of textures between the welded metals and smooth glass. Gorgeous array of colors in the glass pi...
Category

1960s Unknown Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Mid Century Brutalist Iron And Slag Abstract Sculpture
Located in Bridgeport, CT
An Elemental welded Iron and Slag Metal Sculpture in Brutalist Style. Signed along the base. A series of four Iron Rings with Rust patina with gray slag metal in between. Mounted on an base. Sculpted by Multidisciplinary Artist Norma Flanagan who during her lifetime worked in Stone, Metal, Ceramics, Painting and Drawing. L. 25", Depth 10 1/2", H. 16 1/2", Diam. largest ring 13...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Vintage Boho Brutalist Chain Link Snake Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Inject a dose of raw, industrial edge into your decor with this striking vintage Brutalist snake sculpture. Hand-crafted from salvaged heavy-gauge chain links expertly welded into a ...
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Steel, Iron

Torch Cut Brutal Sculpture
Located in Denton, TX
1970s metal freestanding sculpture very organic.
Category

20th Century North American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Torch Cut Brutal Sculpture
Torch Cut Brutal Sculpture
$1,440 Sale Price
20% Off
Primitive Carved Sitting Woman Sculpture
Located in Haaltert, BE
Primitive Carved Sitting Woman Sculpture
Category

1970s Dutch Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Late 20th Century Set of Three Sculptural Copper Vessels by Thomas Markusen – Si
Located in North Fort Myers, FL
A striking set of three hand-forged copper vessels by renowned metal artist Thomas Markusen, known for his sculptural and fire-formed metalwork. These pieces feature elegant, flared ...
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Copper

Richard Faure Chestnut Gold Wine Bottle Cradle
Located in Hastings, GB
An exceptional signed sculptured wine bottle cradle by the renowned French Artist and Sculptor Richard Faure. Hand crafted in brass, and intricately detailed in the form of a ches...
Category

1980s French Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Brass

Isabelle Faure Signed Illuminated Gold Butterfly Sculpture Light Brass and Agate
Located in Hastings, GB
An incredibly rare sculpture by world renowned sculptor Isabelle Faure, in hand worked brass and agate. The enormous butterfly spans over 80cm in diameter and the stunning agate wing...
Category

1970s French Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Agate, Brass

Henri Fernandez Gold and Blue Longhorn Beetle Lamp
Located in Hastings, GB
Extremely rare sculpture in brass and agate, by Henri Fernandez for atelier Duval Brasseur, modelled as a Longhorn Beetle and dating to the 1970’s. The beautiful blue agate wings ar...
Category

1970s French Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Agate, Brass

Vintage Boho Hand Carved Eagle Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Make a bold statement with this monumental vintage hand-carved eagle sculpture. Hewn from a single solid log, this imposing figure stands with a stoic, totem-like presence, showcasin...
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Macabre Surreal Brutalist Steel Step Sculpture
Located in Garnerville, NY
Torch cut steel and mixed metals Surrealist sculpture of a headless seated figure. Haunting and thought provoking piece dating from the late 1960s-the early 1970s. Unsigned. The ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Steel, Cut Steel, Wire

"Kabuto #4, " by Lucien Petit
Located in New York, NY
Glazed stoneware sculpture. Wood fired.   
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Stoneware

Vintage Boho Patinated Ceramic Female Torso Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This arresting vintage sculpture embodies the raw, textural power of the Brutalist movement combined with classic figural form. The female torso is composed of a textured material (l...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Brutalist Torch Cut Oxidized Iron Abstract Floral Sculpture, Interior or Garden
Located in Miami, FL
Brutalist Torch Cut Oxidized Iron Abstract Floral Sculpture, Interior or Garden Offered for sale is a Brutalist torch-cut iron sculpture of...
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Donald Drum Style MCM 1960s Cast Aluminum Brutalist Exotic Wild Beast Sculpture
Located in St. Louis, MO
Large Mid-Century Modern Donald Drum style cast aluminum brutalist exotic African wild beast sculpture on base. Also after Bruce Fox designs. In fine cond...
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Aluminum

Vintage Molten Bronze and Green Marble Signed Gerber Abstract Sculpture
By Adolf Gerber
Located in North Miami, FL
One could interrupt the nature of this vintage signed abstract bronze and dark green with black marble sculpture through the feet. Brutalist in molten form of the bronze. The variega...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Brutalist Ceramic and Bronze Female Bust "Study on A Female Body", 1970s
Located in Culver City, CA
This sculpture is provocative and gorgeous. When we acquired this piece, we were told it was called "Study on a Female Body" and that it had been in the gentleman's office since he first opened in the 1970's. The sculpture is anatomically correct and features a female torso arching back and has large pieces of attached brutalist bronze pieces that protrude almost evocative of wings to create some sort of angelic aspect to the piece. It's both brutal / crude, but so elegantly executed and really is just a stunning piece. From the naval to the articulated spine, the attention to detail was masterfully executed on this sculpture. The sculpture sits upon a steel rod, which is mounted to a stone block. The piece is signed illegibly on the stone. A wonderful piece that would really look great in any type of modern environment. Would be great as an entryway sculpture...
Category

1970s Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Silas Seandel Bronze Sculpture Brutalist Signed
Located in Lake Worth, FL
Offering One Of Our Recent Palm Beach Estate Fine Art Acquisitions Of A Silas Seandel Bronze Sculpture Brutalist Signed Approximate Measurements in Inches 15 1/2" high (including ba...
Category

1970s Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Sculpture by Richard Walsh
Located in Chicago, IL
Richard Walsh freeform sculpture. Tubular metal bent and welded to torch-cut circular base, Brutalist in form and patina. Sturdy stabile sculpture, circa 1975.
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Sculpture by Richard Walsh
Sculpture by Richard Walsh
$1,440 Sale Price
58% Off
Cast Bronze Shark Tails Statuette by J. Dale M Hall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cast bronze sculpture by American sculptor J. Dale M'Hall featuring a grouping of shark tails. James began sculpting in the 1960's and has worked with a variety of different media throughout his career but bronze sculpting...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Vintage Signed Gerber Bronze and Variegated Marble Sculpture Style of Oppenheim
Located in North Miami, FL
This heavy molten bronze question mark, bird or chicken sculpture has the traccia feet that is reminiscent on the coveted Meret Oppeneheim table. It sits in the original variegated green and black marble base with a bronze pole...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Vintage Brutalist Iron and Bronze Table Sculpture
Located in Charleston, SC
Vintage Brutalist abstraction Iron and Bronze Table Sculpture. C. 1960’s
Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze, Iron

Hammered Glass Wrought Iron Sculpture Lamp by Biancardi Jordan, Italy, 1970s
Located in SAINT-OUEN, FR
Mid-Century Modern sculpture lamp light sconce hammered glass and wrought iron, by the manufacture Biancardi & Jordan in Verona in a Brutalist s...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Wrought Iron

Vintage Coastal Patinated Bronze Cattail Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Capture the raw, organic beauty of nature with this striking vintage cattail sculpture. Expertly crafted from mixed metals, this artisan piece showcases a dynamic composition of slen...
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Brass, Copper

Large Scale Brutalist Gilt Metal Pelican Sculpture Ashtray Stand
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Large scale, brutalist gilt metal pelican bird sculpture. American Mid century handcrafted metal Pelican Ashtray Stand. This stylish sculpture of a pel...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Two Heavy Southwest Kokopelli Metal Sculptures Bookends
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Two heavy signed Southwest Kokopelli metal sculptures. The sculpture features Kokopelli, a fertility deity in the shape of a humpbacked figure playing the flute. The sculpture an...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Brutalist Metal and Wood Horse Bookends
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Unique circa 1970s, USA Brutalist-style horse bookends composed of cut and soldered sheet metal heads and legs with carved wooden bodies and wire tails. Very good, vintage condition,...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Sheet Metal

Brutalist Bronze Mythological Bird Sculpture in Travertine
Located in Milano, IT
Rare sculpture from the Brutalist period designed in the 1950s, of fine Italian manufacture. The sculpture stands on a cubic base made of travertine, very elegant. Above this form i...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Travertine, Brass, Bronze

Vintage Boho Abstract Figurative Cast Metal Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This powerful vintage sculpture captures a fluid, dynamic human form in motion, executed with the rough texture and expressive technique characteristic of Brutalist or Abstract Expre...
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Iron

4 Bronze Brutalist Figurative Head Art Sculptures, Circa 1920
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Four striking brutalist bronze sculptures of heads, incredibly well executed by a talented and likely well trained hand but are unsigned by the artis...
Category

Early 20th Century Canadian Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

French 1940 s Terra Cotta Sculpture of a Woman
Located in San Francisco, CA
An important French 1940's terra cotta sculpture of a seated nude woman; with head turned to the right above a voluptuous torso; Signed "Rene Romage, 1942" (alias - Rene Baumer)
Category

1940s French Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Mixed Metal Curtis Jere Elongated Urchin Wall Sculpture
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This uncommon Jere sculpture is comprised of chromed steel 'spores' that together form an urchin or pom-pom figure at the top. A combination of brass and chromed steel rods with stee...
Category

1980s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Brass, Chrome, Metal, Steel

Iron And Brass Welded Sculpture By Ernesto Emilio Gonzalez
By Ernesto Gonzales
Located in Norwood, NJ
Iron and brass one of a kind sculpture created by Cuban/American modernist sculptor Ernesto Gonzalez. Sculpture has a textured, blackened finish with edges hand torched by the artist...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Brass, Iron

Brutalist Abstract Cast Aluminum Marble Sculpture by D. Calvi, ca. 1970’s
Located in New York, NY
Abstract Brutalism D. Calvi Cast & Partially Polished Aluminum, Marble ca. 1970’s DIMENSIONS Height: 22 inches (w/ base) Width: 9.5 inches Depth: 4 inches Base: 11 x 6 x 3 inches A...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Aluminum

Brutalist Bronze Mounted Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bronze mounted abstract sculpture. The sculpture features four topographical like forms connected to a narrow bronze stem, mounted to a thick limestone base. Signed by the artist. D...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Limestone, Bronze

Harry Bouras Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
Chicago art critic, Harry Bouras was the host of "Arts and Artists" for 25 years. Harry's pieces are in permanent collections in Chicago, New York and Tokyo. Resin coated iron sculpture. Two matching...
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Gladiator and Jester, Brutalist Sculptures in Mixed Metal, 1966-1967
By B. O Byrne
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Superlative examples of welded, Brutalist sculptures from the 1960s, this pairing of Gladiator and "King's Clown" were executed in steel, brass and slate by B. O'Byrne. The sculptor ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Brutalist abstract wrought iron sculpture from the 1970s
By François Thévenin
Located in LE CANNET, FR
Interesting artisanal French work from the 1970s Wrought and welded iron sculpture This highly decorative piece is in the same vein as other designers such as Sido and Francois Theve...
Category

1970s French Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Abstract Sculpture Brutalist Style Figurine on Lucite Base
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This is a very intriguing Abstract Sculpture, in the Brutalist Style, of a Figurine on Lucite Base. Made to my knowledge with a very heavy Stone and heavy enameled in a black color....
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Stone

Torch Cut and Welded Steel Brutalist Bull Sculpture
Located in Ferndale, MI
Well executed minimal and brutalist torch cut sheetmetal on round stock welded steel frame.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Steel, Sheet Metal

Gabor Kalman Brutalist Steel Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
Kalman takes steel and torch-cuts it, then contours it for a Brutalist effect. Signed base Gabor Kalman '68. This item is currently on view in our NYC Greenwich Street Location.
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Cut Steel

1970’s Mid Century Brutalist Sheet Metal and Wire Avian Figure
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Ca. 1970's. An openwork globular cage form bird with sheet metal flat beak and tail, and wings. With a stand at the back. Dimensions:: Height 14 1/2", length 20", depth 9" Conditio...
Category

1970s Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Brutalist wrought iron bird sculpture dating from the 1970s
Located in LE CANNET, FR
Interesting french work in the manner of Michel Anasse, dating from the 1970s. Wrought and welded iron sculpture representing a rooster. Decorative sculpture also in the spirit of Si...
Category

1970s French Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Scrap Metal Art of a Tank c1970
Located in Paddock Wood Tonbridge, GB
Metal Art of a Tank c1970 Introducing a stunning piece of artisan craftsmanship that transcends mere decoration: a handmade scrap metal tank from the 1970s, skill-fully assembled fro...
Category

1970s French Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Sculptural Sconces by Marc D haenens
Located in Brussels, BE
An important 1980s brass Agate inset illuminating wall sculpture. By Marc D'haenens.  
Category

1980s Belgian Vintage Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Agate, Brass

Patinated Iron Tree Form Sculpture
Located in Bridgehampton, NY
This tree can of course be used as a decorative piece. Also used as a clothing/hat rack, etc.
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Iron

American Post-War Brutalist Abstract Sculpture
Located in Queens, NY
American Post-War Design Brutalist abstract sculpture composed of welded iron shapes with a rust patina.
Category

20th Century American Brutalist Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Brutalist sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Brutalist sculptures for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage sculptures created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, wall decorations, lighting and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Brutalist sculptures made in a specific country, there are North America, United States, and Europe pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original sculptures, popular names associated with this style include James Bearden, Curtis Jeré, Henrik Horst, and David Palombo. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for sculptures differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $49 and tops out at $450,000 while the average work can sell for $1,964.

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