French Sculpture Vocabulary

Learn about French sculptures and French sculpting vocabulary with this free list of French sculpting terms with English translation.

1 – French Vocabulary: Sculpture

1. Une sculpture : sculpture
2. Sculpting: sculpter
3. Un sculpteur / Une sculptrice : sculptor
4. Une statue : statue
5. Un modèle : model
6. Un socle : pedestal
7. Un bas-relief : low relief
8. Un buste : bust
9. Les proportions : dimensions, size
10. Sculpter : to sculpt
11. Tailler : to carve
12. Un maillet : mallet
13. Ébaucher : to draft
14. Une ébauche : a draft
15. Modeler : to shape, to mould
16. Un modelage : modelling
17. Mouler : to cast
18. Un moulage : casting
19. Fondre : to found
20. La fonte : melting
21. Assembler : to assemble
22. Un assemblage : assembling
23. Un matériau : material
24. Le plâtre : plaster
25. La terre cuite : terracotta
26. Le bois : wood
27. Le bronze : bronze
28. Le marbre : marble

Note from Camille: I’m having a hard time finding the names of sculpting tools in French and English! My dictionary is not very helpful with these very precise terms –  If you’d like to contribute to this free resource, please add the sculpting tools / sculpture related vocabulary words in French and English to the comments below, and I’ll gladly add them to the article! Thanks!
You can find pictures and sculpting related French vocabulary words on wikipedia.

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2 – How do you Pronounce “Sculpture” in French?

In French the P in “sculpture” and derived words is silent.
And the U is… well, a French U, like in “tu”. [scultur]

1. Sculpture – scul tur
2. Sculpter – scul té
3. un sculpteur – scul teur
4. une sculptrice – scul triss

You have to be particularly careful with these words that are similar in English and in French. They may seem easier to learn, but actually, they are more difficult because it’s so easy to say them the English way.
So you really need to train so the French pronunciation comes out naturally.