Sculpture

Art Historical Context

Séraphin Soudbinine'sSculpture* (ca. 1928) is a striking stoneware creation from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Modern and Contemporary Art collection Measuring an impressive 27 × 26 3/4 × 9 1/8 inches and weighing nearly 30 pounds, this substantial piece exemplifies the sculptural potential of ceramics. Classified as pottery yet boldly three-dimensional, it captures birds in a dynamic form, blending the tactile qualities of clay with modernist ambition. Stoneware, fired at high temperatures for exceptional durability and a rich, earthy finish, was a favored medium in the early 20th century for artists pushing ceramics beyond utility into fine art. Soudbinine, a skilled practitioner in this tradition, crafted this work during the interwar years—a time when European sculptors explored organic motifs amid rapid artistic innovation. The bird subject evokes nature's grace, rendered with sensitivity to form and weight that speaks to the material's inherent strength. Generously gifted by Robert A. Ellison Jr. in 2013, this sculpture invites visitors to appreciate how everyday clay transforms into monumental expression, bridging craft and high art in the Met's renowned holdings.