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A maquette is a small preliminary three-dimensional model of a sculpture or building. Artists use maquettes to develop a design, test its form, or present a proposed work; some are also valued as artworks in their own right.
A maquette can guide a larger finished work, record an unrealized proposal, or remain an independent sculpture. Its purpose and relationship to another work matter more than its size or material.
Why do artists make maquettes?
A maquette is a three-dimensional thinking and communication tool. It lets an artist examine a design in space, consider its form from different viewpoints, and share a concrete proposal before a larger work is made or enlarged.
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Depending on the project, a maquette may help an artist:
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- develop and clarify a design;
- test its form and how it occupies space;
- present an idea to a selection committee, patron, or community;
- guide the enlargement or realization of a larger work; or
- preserve a record of a proposal, including one that was never realized.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum describes public-art maquettes as concrete visions of artists’ ideas that helped them share proposals with selection committees, patrons, and communities. A maquette can therefore be both a working model and a means of communicating an idea.
What does a maquette look like?
There is no single appearance that identifies a maquette. Models vary in scale, format, material, and finish. Some are rough studies; others are carefully made objects. The essential point is their role in developing, proposing, documenting, or guiding a work—not their size alone.
A maquette need not be a miniature copy of the final work, nor must it use the same material. It can express an idea in its own form and materials while informing a larger project.
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Common maquette materials
Artists use varied materials, depending on the project and the decisions the model needs to help explore. Examples documented in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s public-art maquette exhibition include:
- Wood: Sol LeWitt’s Maquette for One, Two, Three (1979) was assembled and painted balsa wood.
- Metal: documented examples include welded steel, copper foil, and bronze.
- Ceramic: ceramic is among the materials used in the exhibition’s models.
- Wire and plastic: these also appear among the documented materials.
These examples show that no single material or finish defines a maquette. The model’s purpose and connection to a proposed or larger work are more significant than what it is made from.
Maquette, sketch, bozzetto, and modello: what is the difference?
These terms can overlap, and their meanings vary by language, period, artist, and museum. A maquette is generally a preliminary model, commonly associated with sculpture and also used for buildings. Related labels such as “sketch model” or “study” may describe an object’s role rather than a fixed category.
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| Term | Typical meaning |
|---|---|
| Sketch or study | A broad term for an exploratory stage or object; it may be two-dimensional or three-dimensional. |
| Bozzetto | A related term used in Italian art-historical contexts for a small sculptural sketch or model. |
| Maquette | A preliminary three-dimensional model used to develop, present, document, or guide a proposed work. |
| Architectural model | A model of a building or spatial concept; it may serve as a design study or presentation. |
Catalog terminology is not always uniform. To understand a particular object, look at its documented purpose, its relationship to a larger work, and the museum’s description rather than treating any one label as a rigid definition.
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Is a maquette a finished artwork?
It can be. A maquette may be made to develop or guide a larger work, but it is not automatically disposable or merely instrumental. The Metropolitan Museum of Art says Alexander Calder considered his maquettes sculptures in their own right. The Smithsonian American Art Museum also notes that many artists considered their maquettes completed artworks.
A model’s relationship to a larger work varies. It may guide an enlargement, preserve an artist’s intentions, or be the only surviving trace of a proposal that was not realized or was later destroyed. Consider whether a larger work was made and how the artist, fabricators, or collection regarded the model.
Examples from art history
Alexander Calder
The Metropolitan Museum of Art dates Calder’s painted-sheet-metal sculpture Untitled (Maquette) to 1957 and catalogs it as a sculpture. Calder used maquettes as guides for outdoor works called “stabiles,” oversaw their enlargement, and still regarded the maquettes themselves as sculptures. The Met’s object record describes this relationship.
Mark di Suvero
Mark di Suvero’s Preliminary Maquette for Motu Viget (1974) is a welded-steel proposal model for a commission at the Gerald R. Ford Federal Building in Grand Rapids. The revised, large-scale sculpture was installed in 1977 after public response helped prompt the General Services Administration to reconsider the project. The maquette is the proposal model, not the full-size installed sculpture. See the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s object record.
Mezcala architectural model
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Architectural Model, attributed to Mezcala and dated 200 BCE–500 CE, is a stone building form. The Met notes that its function and archaeological context are uncertain. Funerary or spiritual uses have been proposed, but these are possibilities rather than settled conclusions. Read the Met object record for its description and context.
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Models for public art
The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s documentation of public-art maquettes includes models made with materials such as balsa wood, welded steel, ceramic, copper foil, wire, plastic, and bronze. Some preserve intentions for realized commissions; others are the only surviving traces of proposals that were not realized or were later destroyed. The exhibition closed in 2020, so its exhibition page is historical documentation, not a listing for a current exhibition.
Maquettes in architecture and design
The word also applies to models of buildings. The City of New York’s Gracie Mansion education guide defines a maquette as a small preliminary model of a sculpture or building. An architectural maquette can help communicate a spatial or building concept before construction.
Ancient architectural models offer a related example, though their original function may be uncertain. The Met’s Mezcala model record discusses possible interpretations without presenting them as established fact. For further reading on that specific subject, the Met cites Design for Eternity: Architectural Models from the Ancient Americas (2015), which focuses on ancient American architectural models.
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How to recognize a maquette in a museum
Start with the label or collection record. Look for wording such as:
- “maquette for”;
- “preliminary maquette”;
- “model for”;
- “study for”; or
- “sketch model.”
Then check for a related larger work, the model’s purpose, and any information about its design or production history. Material and size can help describe an object, but neither alone proves that it is a maquette.
A maquette is not necessarily a miniature replica. It may be a preliminary or expressive model that informs a larger work, and its materials may differ from those of the finished work. The catalog record is often the best guide to its role.
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How to make a simple maquette
You do not need to begin with a highly detailed model. Focus first on the main form and on what you want the model to help you decide.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall- Define the idea. Decide what sculpture, building, or other work you are exploring and what questions the model should help answer.
- Choose a material. Select a material that suits the form and the kind of study you want to make.
- Establish the main form. Block out the basic shape and relationships before spending time on detail.
- Examine the model. View it from different angles and consider how its form reads in space.
- Revise the design. Change or rebuild parts that do not communicate the idea clearly.
- Record useful decisions. Note how the model relates to the proposed work and what you want to carry forward.
What a maquette is not
- It is not simply any small sculpture.
- It is not necessarily a miniature copy of a completed work.
- It is not automatically unfinished or disposable.
- It is not limited to a single material, scale, or finish.
The term describes an object’s relationship to a developing, proposed, or documented artistic or design project. That relationship may be practical, historical, or artistic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a maquette in art?
A maquette is a small preliminary three-dimensional model, commonly of a sculpture and also of a building. It can help develop, present, document, or guide a proposed work.
What is a maquette used for?
Artists use maquettes to work through a design and communicate a proposed work. A maquette may guide a larger version or preserve a record of a proposal.
Is a maquette a finished artwork?
It can be. Some maquettes are working models, while some artists regard them as completed artworks in their own right. Calder’s maquettes are one documented example.
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No. Maquettes vary in scale, format, finish, and material, and a model need not be a miniature copy of the larger work.
How can I identify a maquette in a museum?
Check the collection label or record for terms such as “maquette,” “preliminary maquette,” or “model for,” and look for information about a related larger work and the model’s purpose. Size alone is not enough to identify one.
The Bottom Line
A maquette is a small preliminary model—commonly for a sculpture, and also for a building—that helps develop, present, document, or guide a proposed work. It may inform a larger work or be valued as an artwork itself. Its role, not merely its size or material, is what makes it a maquette.
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