"Modern Sculptors" is a terrific example of a film which has exceptional special effects but they were not utilized well because the film was so rushed and the style was a bit dated. Segundo de Chomón began copying the styles (and occasionally the films themselves) of his rival, Georges Méliès. In a few cases, he even improved on the old master's camera tricks--like he does here. But style-wise, the film could have used some help.
A woman (Julienne Mathieu--the director's wife) runs some sort of sculpture gallery. She shows off her statues to the audience and some of these marble pieces of art move (using double-exposures of actors painted white like statues). Then, she shows off lumps of clay that form themselves into wonderful or humorous pieces of art. This final portion of the film was by far the best.
So what's wrong with the style? Well, the entire thing was done in a very stagy manner--and confined everything to a very small space. Having the woman walking about in a store versus standing almost stationary on a small set would have improved things a lot. Also, this case is a great example where more is actually less. So many pieces of art are presented so quickly, that there is no artistry or flair--they just bombard the audience. Adding at least five minutes and introducing them slowing OR eliminating some of the art would have made for a better film. It is interesting and worth seeing--but it's a shame such nice effects weren't utilized better.