Sculpture is the branch of the
visual arts that operates in
three dimensions. Traditionally, sculptural process have focused on
carving and
modelling, generally in
stone,
metal, and
wood, but since
modernism shifts in sculptural process have led to an almost complete freedom of materials and process. The
Western tradition of sculpture began in
Ancient Greece, and Greece is widely seen as a producing great masterpieces in the
classical period. During the Middle Ages,
Gothic sculpture represented the agonies and passions of the Christian faith. The revival of classical models in the Renaissance produced famous sculptures like
Michelangelo's
David. Modernist sculpture moved away from traditional processes and the emphasis on the depiction of the human body, with the making of
constructed sculpture, and the presentation of
found objects as finished art works.