Who Are the Sculpture Superstars • Lesson • Lenny.com
Who Are the Sculpture Superstars
A middle school art history lesson introducing students to iconic sculptors like Michelangelo, Bernini, Rodin, Calder, and Hepworth through visual presentations and biographical studies.
Famous for creating holes or empty spaces inside her sculptures.
"What kind of textures and feelings do Hepworth's smooth forms evoke?"
A World of Sculpture!
From realism to abstract, motionless to moving, sculpture is a vibrant and diverse art form that shapes our world.
Michelangelo
Renaissance
Bernini
Baroque
Rodin
Modern
Calder
Kinetic
Hepworth
Abstract
Which sculptor impressed you the most?
Alexander Calder
(1898-1976) • American
Alexander Calder was an American sculptor best known for inventing the "mobile"—moving sculpture that reacts to air currents. He also created "stabiles," which are stationary abstract sculptures.
Calder's work is characterized by its playful nature, bright colors, and use of industrial materials like wire and sheet metal. He brought a sense of lightness and motion to monumental forms.
Key Works
Lobster Trap and Fish Tail
One of his most famous early mobiles, showcasing suspended, moving art.
Flamingo (1974)
A large, bright red stabile in Chicago, demonstrating playful public art.
Barbara Hepworth
(1903-1975) • English
Barbara Hepworth was a prominent English modernist sculptor. She was known for her smooth, abstract, and often organic forms, frequently working with wood, stone, and bronze.
Hepworth was interested in how sculpture could define and interact with space. Many of her works feature "voids" or holes, creating a relationship between the inner and outer space of the sculpture.
Key Works
Single Form (1961)
A large bronze sculpture at the United Nations symbolizing peace.
Curved Form (Bryher II)
An abstract piece exploring curved lines and solid/void interplay.
Reflection Question
Based on these biographies, which artist’s approach to art interests you most? Is it the realistic "trapped" figures of Michelangelo, the movement of Bernini or Calder, the emotion of Rodin, or the abstract spaces of Hepworth?
