Wax
A soft, moldable material that comes from bees or petroleum, used for candles and sculptures.
What is it?
Wax is a material that can be shaped when warm and becomes hard when cool. Artists use wax to make models or finished sculptures. It is easy to add fine details. Degas used wax to make his 'Little Dancer of Fourteen Years' because it allowed him to create a very realistic face and body. Wax sculptures are fragile, so they are often cast in bronze later. The child's reflection mentions that the original was made of wax.
Why it matters
Wax is an important material for sculptors because it is easy to work with and can capture tiny details. Many famous sculptures were first made in wax.
Where you've seen it
This list grows as you capture more objects made of wax.
