Anthony Caro

Anthony Caro (1924–2013) was a significant figure in the advancement of 20th-century sculpture. Throughout a career spanning over six decades, Caro garnered global acclaim and established himself as one of the foremost sculptors in the world.

Biography of Anthony Caro

Born in New Malden, London, the artist studied engineering at Christ’s College, Cambridge, before training as a sculptor at the Royal Academy Schools, London. From 1951 to 1953, he served as an assistant to Henry Moore. His early works explored the expressive potential of modernist figuration, which was shaped in clay and cast in bronze. He had his first solo exhibition at Milan’s Galleria del Naviglio in 1956, followed by another at Gimpel Fils in London the following year.

In 1959, a Ford Foundation grant facilitated Caro's trip to the United States, where he encountered leading American artists like painters Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Motherwell, Kenneth Noland, and sculptor David Smith. Smith's welded steel sculptures offered Caro a fresh perspective on sculptural possibilities. Upon returning to London, Caro made a decisive shift in his practice, welding and bolting steel beams, plates, rods, and tubes into compositions without a fixed focal point. Departing from traditional sculptural conventions, he painted these works with bold, flat colors.

In 1960, Caro abandoned his previous figurative approach and began crafting abstract sculptures using welded and painted steel, positioning them directly on the floor. This move eliminated pedestals and drastically altered the relationship between the artwork and the viewer. Despite their abstract nature, these pieces possessed a tangible presence. When they debuted in Caro’s solo exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1963 in London, they caused a sensation, heralding a revolution in the perception of sculpture. The artist's radical and innovative techniques and materials redefined the concept of what sculpture could be.

By 1970, Caro's prominence was evident. His first solo exhibition in New York led The New York Times to acclaim him as 'unrivaled as the most accomplished sculptor of his generation' and 'unquestionably the most important sculptor to have emerged from England since Henry Moore.' For the next four decades, Caro continued to develop his unconventional artistic language, exploring the boundaries between sculpture, painting, music, and architecture. He was fascinated by interior and contained spaces, creating works that invited physical interaction rather than mere observation.

Upon Caro's passing in 2013, his work had been showcased in over 130 global exhibitions and included in numerous international group shows. His sculptures are housed in major public and private collections worldwide.