15 Surreal Details On Sculptures That Left People In Awe

There's something eternally fascinating about the art of sculpture, more so when it depicts the human form. Michelangelo, for example, lived and created more than 500 years ago, yet we still marvel at the level of mastery and beauty that he was able to accomplish.

Recently, a Twitter (X) user James Lucas shared some interesting details in sculptures that people sometimes might overlook. For example, did you know that Michelangelo's David has heart-shaped pupils? Scroll down and find more fascinating details about the most famous sculptures in art history!

Pictolic reached out to James Lucas, the author of this thread. He kindly agreed to tell us more about where he got the inspiration and knowledge about these interesting facts. Read our short conversation with him below!

More info: Twitter (X) | Substack

15 PHOTOS

#1 Chauncey Bradley Ives Turned Stone Into Wet Silk In "Undine Rising From The Waters" (1880)

#2 In Canova's Timeless Masterpiece, The Wings Of Cupid Are So Delicately Thin That When Sunlight Touches Them They Shimmer With A Gentle Peach Glow

#3 Water Flowing Over Toes

James Lucas runs a Twitter (X) account and Substack dedicated to great works of art and their beauty. That doesn't mean sculpture exclusively; he also features architecture, paintings, photography, and an occasional goofy accidental Renaissance meme.

This particular thread, James tells us, was inspired by Giovanni Battista Lombardi's Nymph statue. "The level of detail is simply mind-boggling, and it made me reflect on the other surreal details in many sculptures I admire," he told Bored Panda in an email.

#4 Giovanni Strazza's Ability To Make Stone Translucent In His Bust Of The Virgin Mary

#5 This Intricate Net Was Carved From A Single Block Of Marble By Francesco Queirolo. It Took Him 7 Years

No apprentice would touch the sculpture for fear of the delicate net crumbling in their hands.

#6 The Marble Veil In Giuseppe Sanmartino's Masterpiece Is So Astonishingly Lifelike That The Artist Was Accused Of Using Alchemy To Turn Fabric Into Stone

The sculptures are quite captivating in pictures, but seeing them in real life is even more riveting. I remember thinking "It's insane that an actual person did this" when looking at Ancient Roman and Greek sculptures at The Louvre and The MET.

"My father is a sculptor, so I've had the pleasure of seeing many of these remarkable works in person, especially in Italy," James told us. But there is one he's not yet seen and would like to very much. "I would love to see the Veiled Virgin by Giovanni Strazza in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada," he says.

#7 The Mind-Boggling Detail Of Michelangelo's Moses

There is a tiny contracted muscle in the forearm, which only contracts when the little finger is raised. Moses is lifting the pinky, therefore that tiny muscle is contracted.

#8 The "Veiled Truth" By Antonio Corradini

#9 Bernini Turned Stone Into Flesh

The legendary Italian sculptor was only 23 years old when he completed "The Abduction of Proserpina".

James' account and the newly launched Substack are all about the beauty of art and beyond. His philosophy is reflected by the last two lines of the John Keats poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn" in the bio: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know." If you want another dose of beauty, be sure to check out his Twitter (X) account and his articles on Substack.

#10 Marble Turned Into Lace

Giuliano Finelli's bust of Maria Duglioli Barberini (1626)

#11 Stunning Detail Of "Ugolino And His Sons" By Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux

#12 This Is Not A Cotton Yarn. This Is A Mind-Blowing Marble Sculpture By The Greek Artist Argiris Rallias

Sculpture as an art form dates back to 32,000 years B.C. Back then, of course, small animal and human figures carved in bone, ivory, or stone counted as sculptures. Today, we associate white marble sculptures with Ancient Roman, Greek, and Renaissance art, but some of the statues in this list are even from the 19th century.

#13 The Fall Of The Rebel Angels, A 168 Cm (5"6') Statue With More Than Sixty Figures Carved From A Single Block Of Marble By Agostino Fasolato

#14 The Handkerchief Detail Of The Duc De Montausier's Marble Statue

#15 Michelangelo's David Right Hand

Michelangelo's David is often cited as the most recognizable masterpiece of the Renaissance. It's the most loved and reproduced piece of artwork from Florence; there are 30 full-size replicas of David all over the world. The heart-shaped eyes theory has several explanations.