Constantin Brâncuși

Constantin Brâncuși (19 February 1876-16 March 1957) was a Romanian sculptor, photographer and painter. He is known not just for his contributions to Romanian art, but is also known for his international contribution to the renewal of the visual art of sculpture.

Early Life

Constantin Brâncuși was born on 19 February 1876 in Hobița, Kingdom of Romania as the youngest child of Nicolae Radu Brâncuși (1833-1885) and Maria Deaconescu (1851-1919), both of whom were peasents who worked hard and earned a meager living. As a child he was passionate about carving wooden farm tools. His childhood was marked by running away from home.

Studies

In 1894, Brâncuși was enrolled into the Craiova school of Arts and Crafts by an industrialist who was impressed by his work and graduated in 1898. He continued his studies, enrolling himself in the Bucharest School of Fine Arts (now the Bucharest National University of Arts), graduating in 1902. In 1897 he makes his first artwork, the bust of Gheorghe Chițu. After graduating, Brâncuși starts his journey to go to Paris on foot in 1903, stopping in Vienna and Munich throughout the way. In 1905, upon reaching Paris he gets accepted into the École des Beaux-Arts, where he meets other artists such as Amadeo Modigliani and Marcel Duchamp. In 1906, because he reached the limit of 30 years old, Brâncuși leaves the École des Beaux-Arts. Brâncuși is also given the opportunity to work at the workshop of Auguste Rodin, but refuses, stating "Nothing grows under the shadow of great trees."

Career

Brâncuși's art studio, 1920

The Kiss, a sculpture by Brâncuși

He rented his worwshop in Rue, in 1907, and he created the first version of one of his most famous sculptures, "The Kiss". In 1910 he made another one of his most famous sculptures, "The Sleeping Muse". Brâncuși began to be recognized in places like the United States, France and his home country of Romania, being patroned by American art collector John Quinn.

Some of his works

"Bird in Space", a sculpture

• Bust of a boy (1906)
• The Prayer (1907)
• La Sagesse de la Terre (1908)
• Sleeping Muse (1910), Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Prometheus (1911)
• Mademoiselle Pogany (1912), Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Miss Pogany (1913,) drawing, the Botarro Collection
• The Kiss (1916), Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Princess X (1916),
• Madame L.R. (1914–1918)
• A Muse (1917)
• Chimera (1918)
• Eileen Lane (1922), the Botarro Collection
• Bird in Space (1924), Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Portrait of Nancy Cunard (also called Sophisticated Young Lady) (1925–1927)
• Le Poisson (1926)
• Portrait of James Joyce, for Tales Told of Shem and Shaun (Black Sun Press, Paris, 1929)
• Le Coq (1935)
• Sculptural Ensemble of Constantin Brâncuși at Târgu Jiu (Endless Column) (1935)
• Blonde Negress I (1926), Toledo Museum of Art
• White Negress II (1928), Art Institute of Chicago

• 
  Brancusi Fish Tate Modern Collection