Celebrated British sculptor Sir Anthony Caro has died at the age of 89. The artist's family confirm his passing in a statement that said the pioneering sculptor had passed away after suffering a heart attack on Wednesday, 23 October. His death has caused an outpouring of grief from art enthusiast and fans of Caro the world over, and his influence on modern art has been fondly remembered since his death was confirmed.

Caro initially studied engineering at Cambridge, before heading to the Royal Academy Schools in London to specialise in sculpting. Initially constructing figurative work, Caro began making large, modernist sculptures after working as an assistant to the great Henry Moore in the later stages of the 1950s. He went on to push further boundaries when he started challenging the usual conventions found in sculpting. Although it may not seem like much, when his 1962 sculpture 'Early One Morning' was unveiled without a plint, it changed the face of sculpted art and immediately re-wrote the rules on what it meant to be to be an artist.

Widely regarded as the greatest British sculptor of his generation, he gained countless awards and recognition for his work, from within and outside the art world. He was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1969 and was knighted in 1987. In 2000, he was given an Order Of Merit (OM) to add to his royal collection. He also won many artistic prizes throughout his career, and was continually decorated from his early career until his formative years. He was elected as a Senior Member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 2004 and continued to contribute to the academy until his final days.

Caro had a strong work ethic and vowed to keep working until he reached 100. His latest exhibition was unveiled in London in June this year, at the Gagosian Gallery. Had his health held up, he would no doubt be working on his next piece of art right now, and it would have no doubt gone on to create even more praise for the celebrated artist.

Sir Anthony Caro, 1924 - 2013.