Emma Dipper by Anthony Caro
Piece LXXXII by Anthony Caro
Yellow Swing by Anthony Caro
Black Cover Flat by Anthony Caro
Twenty Four Hours by Anthony Caro
Table Piece CCLXVI by Anthony Caro
Table Piece XXVIII by Anthony Caro

Where to See Anthony Caro

5 museums worldwide

About Anthony Caro

British · 1924–2013 · abstract art, contemporary art

British[1] sculptor who abandoned clay for welded steel after meeting David Smith in 1959[1], producing floor-hugging constructions that redefined the medium.

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Anthony Caro's works are held in 5 museums worldwide, including National Gallery of Art, Tate Britain, and MACBA Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art.

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🇪🇸 Spain

1 museum

Also in SpainMACBA Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (1)

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

2 museums

Also in United KingdomTate Britain (1)Tate (1)

🇺🇸 United States

2 museums

Also in United StatesNational Gallery of Art (8)Metropolitan Museum of Art (1)

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Where can I see Anthony Caro's work?
    Anthony Caro's sculptures are held in many public collections. These include museums in the United Kingdom, the United States, and elsewhere. In London, major works can be viewed at the Tate Britain; examples include "Early One Morning" (1962[1]) and "Twenty Four Hours" (1960). The British[1] Council Collection also holds several pieces, reflecting Caro's importance to British modernism. Outside the UK, The Museum of Modern Art in New York has a number of Caro's works. The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra also possesses examples of his output. Smaller galleries and university collections may hold less well-known pieces. Caro's sculptures are also found in open-air settings. Sculpture parks, such as Yorkshire Sculpture Park, often display large-scale works that interact with the natural environment. These allow viewers to experience the pieces in different conditions of light and weather. Before visiting, it is advisable to check the museum or park's online catalogue for current exhibitions and specific works on display, as collections and displays can change.
  • What should I know about Anthony Caro's prints?
    Anthony Caro (1924[1]-2013[1]) is best known as a sculptor; however, he also produced prints throughout his career. These works on paper offer another view into his artistic practice. Caro began making prints in the 1960s, exploring similar themes and forms as his three-dimensional work. He often worked with professional printers, such as Chris Prater at Kelpra Studio. This collaboration allowed him to experiment with techniques like screen printing. His prints are not mere reproductions of his sculptures. Instead, they represent a parallel investigation of shape, line, and space. Caro used printmaking to explore ideas about composition and the interplay of different elements. These prints often feature abstract forms and geometric shapes, reflecting his interest in modernist aesthetics. Some are closely related to specific sculptures, while others explore independent ideas. Caro's prints have been exhibited alongside his sculptures in major museums and galleries. They provide a valuable insight into the working methods of a major figure in 20th-century British[1] art. They show a different aspect of his creative output.
  • Why are Anthony Caro's works important today?
    Anthony Caro (1924[1]-2013[1]) was a British[1] abstract sculptor. He is best known for his large-scale assemblages of welded steel. Caro abandoned modelling in favour of construction during the 1950s. He worked with scrap metal, rejecting traditional plinths. His sculptures sit directly on the ground. This changed how viewers related to sculpture. Clement Greenberg's formalism influenced Caro. He focused on the relationship between sculptural elements, not symbolic meaning. Caro taught at Saint Martin's School of Art in London from 1953[1] to 1981. Several of his students became important sculptors, including Phillip King and Tim Scott. This cemented his place as an influential figure. Caro's work helped redefine sculpture in the 20th century. His emphasis on abstraction and construction continues to influence artists today. His pieces are held in major museum collections worldwide. These include the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate in London.
  • What techniques or materials did Anthony Caro use?
    Anthony Caro is known for his abstract sculptures constructed from industrial materials. He initially worked with clay, gaining expertise in additive processes. This experience informed his later work with less malleable materials. In 1959[1], a visit to the USA and exposure to the work of David Smith led Caro to abandon traditional materials like clay and bronze. He began using steel, sheet metal, and girders, often sourced from scrap yards. These materials were crudely welded or bolted together. Caro often painted his steel sculptures, typically using monochrome colours to clarify form and synthesise the work. The colours varied, sometimes being intense, and at other times soft. Colour served to minimise the visual impact of the steel, while also defining the piece's particular meaning. Later in his career, Caro combined found objects cast in bronze with welded bronze plates and bars. He left the bronze in a rough, natural state, avoiding conventional polishing.
  • Who did Anthony Caro influence?
    Anthony Caro's influence is visible in the work of many sculptors who followed him. His direct teaching at Saint Martin's School of Art in London from the 1950s to the 1980s meant he trained several generations of artists. Among his students were Phillip King, Tim Scott, and Richard Deacon. These artists developed their own individual styles, but Caro's emphasis on abstraction and the use of industrial materials had a clear effect. King's brightly coloured sculptures, Scott's exploration of form, and Deacon's large-scale constructions all owe a debt to Caro's innovations. Beyond his direct students, Caro's work affected the broader art world. His rejection of traditional sculpture methods, such as modelling and carving, opened up new possibilities for artists working with metal. His emphasis on the relationship between sculpture and its surrounding space also had a significant effect on installation art. Artists such as Martin Puryear and Ursula von Rydingsvard, while not directly students of Caro, engaged with similar formal concerns in their sculpture.
  • Who influenced Anthony Caro?
    Anthony Caro (1924[1]-2013[1]) was initially influenced by the sculptor Henry Moore. Caro worked as Moore's assistant for two years after studying at the Royal Academy Schools. Moore's impact is visible in Caro's early figurative work, which used modelled forms. Caro's direction shifted after a 1959[1] visit to the United States. He encountered the work of David Smith, an American sculptor who worked in welded steel. This meeting prompted Caro to abandon modelling in favour of assemblage, using prefabricated metal elements. He also met Clement Greenberg, the influential art critic. Greenberg advocated for abstraction and "truth to materials". Caro adopted these principles, moving away from direct representation. Caro's exposure to Smith's techniques and Greenberg's theories led to his signature style. He began creating abstract sculptures from welded steel, often painted in monochrome colours. These sculptures, such as "Early One Morning" (1962), are characterised by their horizontal orientation and placement directly on the ground, without a plinth.
  • What is Anthony Caro's most famous work?
    Anthony Caro is known for his abstract steel sculptures. While it is difficult to name one single "most famous" work, *Early One Morning* (1962[1]) is among his most recognised. It marked a departure from traditional sculpture. Constructed from bolted steel sheets, I-beams, and tubes, the sculpture is painted a uniform red. This work sits directly on the floor. Its open, horizontal form was a notable change from carved blocks. The lyrical arrangement evokes qualities of abstract painting. The materiality appears deceptively light. Caro's *Midday* (1960) is also a significant work. It represents his breakthrough into a personal style. *Midday* is composed of I-beams and industrial units, painted bright yellow. The horizontal construction moves away from anthropomorphic references. The emphasis is on form and process, the ordering of parts, and the use of colour to achieve synthesis. Caro also worked in series. In 1966, he began a series of table sculptures. David Smith inspired this experimentation.
  • What style or movement did Anthony Caro belong to?
    Anthony Caro (1924[1]-2013[1]) was an English sculptor whose work, after 1960[1], is generally considered abstract. His pieces resist being viewed as single objects. Instead, they emphasise the relationships between the components. Caro's early work was in clay, but a 1959 encounter with the work of David Smith propelled him toward steel. Following Smith's lead, Caro began using scrap steel, sheet metal, and girders, crudely welding and bolting them together. His sculpture *Midday*, 1960, is considered his breakthrough piece. It is composed of I-beams and other industrial parts, painted bright yellow. Caro's constructions rarely reference the human figure. The emphasis is on form and process: the construction, the ordering of separate parts, how they are joined, and the use of colour to achieve synthesis. The individual elements give significance to one another through their juxtaposition. This concentration on syntax is, according to Clement Greenberg, an emphasis on abstractness, on radical unlikeness to nature.

Sources

Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Anthony Caro's works across the following collections.

  1. [1] wikipedia Wikipedia: Anthony Caro Used for: biography.
  2. [2] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
  3. [3] book guggenheim-guggenheimintern00frye Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
  4. [4] book guggenheim-transfsi00wald Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.

Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-06-18. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.

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