Carving Marble with Traditional Tools

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Roughing Out
0:00:54
As was the common practice, the heads of the figures on this sarcophagus were left unfinished so they could be carved as portraits of the deceased when the piece was purchased. In this instance, however, the portraits were never completed; the reason is unknown. Learn more about this sculpture.

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Mastery of Carved Lace and Jewelry
0:01:42
The fine details of Maria Cerri's costume, jewelry, and hairstyle display a true mastery of marble carving. The sitter's intricate coiffure--a mass of curls ornamented with loops of satiny ribbon--falls gracefully around her face. The artist sculpted the delicate lace mantle in low relief with subtle contours that reveal how the garment fell around the sitter's shoulders. The strand of pearls, which weaves across the sitter's chest and around her sash, is carved entirely in the round.

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Delicate Drillwork
0:01:45
In this marble bust of Winter, German sculptor Paul Heermann (1673–1732) used delicate drillwork to create the border and ruffle on Winter’s cloak and the undercut locks of his long beard. Learn more about this object.

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Drilling Technique Used to Aid Viewing from a Distance
0:01:48
The unfinished back of the head and the highly visible, deeply drilled eyes suggest that this piece was probably part of an architectural sculptural group designed to be viewed from a distance. Learn more about this sculpture.

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Deep Undercutting
0:01:50
In this French marble from 1751, the deep undercutting of the faun's hair to create contrasts of shadow with the white marble was inspired by classical techniques of drilling. Take a closer look at this sculpture.

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Drilling used for Finishing Touches
0:01:52
In this marble head of Athena, small holes drilled around the upper edge probably held gilded locks of hair seen as falling out from under the helmet. The goddess wore earrings in her pierced ears and her eyes were inlaid in a contrasting material. Learn more about this sculpture.

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Illusion of Dimensionality
0:02:35
In this sculpted marble relief, the artist varied the depth of carving to simulate space and physical presence. The foreground--the lions and Cybele, Nereid with her offering of sea treasures--pops forward. The sky with Zephyr and Jupiter, the drapery behind Friendship, and even the lions' rear ends, appear to recede into the background. Considering that the depth of this relief is less than three inches, the illusion of dimensionality is remarkable.

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Channels: Ancient ArtSculpture

Prior to the use of power tools, the same basic implements were used for stone carving for hundreds of years. Many of the sculptor's tools had a variety of functions and could be used at different stages of the carving process. In this video, watch a contemporary sculptor demonstrate the use of traditional tools--such as the tooth chisel, the point chisel, the drill, and the rasp--as he creates a finished figure of a woman from a block of marble.

Original footage from
"La Sculpture: techniques de la taille"
© 1980 Neyrac Films

This version
Narrated by Sculptor Gilham D. Erickson
Music courtesy of Moby Gratis
© 2008 J. Paul Getty Trust

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