Constantin Brancusi, 1876-1957

By Alice Lindman

It is curious that a figure who, beyond not being French, also fervently assumed an outsider position in his career, became a defining pioneer of modernist sculpture in 20th century Paris. I refer to Constantin Brâncusi – an artist who originally hailed from rural Romania, and whose upbringing situated him far from traditional Western European art historical narratives that shaped his contemporaries.

Brâncusi received his art education at the Craiova School of Crafts and the Bucharest School of Fine Arts, but it wasn’t until he moved to Paris that he truly developed his own artistic style. In 1907, he secured a place in Auguste Rodin’s studio, but after three years, he left, declaring, “Nothing grows under big trees.” He felt constrained by the conventional approach to sculpture and sought his own artistic path. It was only after his departure that his style matured, moving away from classical realism and embracing the Parisian avant-garde. His first significant work, The Prayer (1907) — commissioned as a gravestone memorial —marked the beginning of his signature approach to form. The sculpture, a rough, minimalist depiction of a kneeling woman, reflected his growing belief in capturing not the outer form, but the essence of his subjects. This piece signified Brâncusi’s first steps toward the radical simplification that would define his legacy.

Brâncusi’s version of The Kiss (1916) offers a striking contrast to Rodin’s, making his departure from traditional sculpture all the more apparent. Drawing inspiration from his Romanian childhood in the Carpathian Mountains—a region renowned for its rich folk craft traditions, particularly woodcarving—Brâncusi embraced a direct carving technique that emphasized simplicity and raw form. While Rodin’s The Kiss exudes movement and sensual realism, Brâncusi’s interpretation is more abstract and symbolic. His sculpture invites a dialogue not just about the figures, but about the very nature of the marble block itself, highlighting the unity of form and material. In this way, the two works emerge from entirely different artistic worlds, with Brâncusi’s version shifting the focus from passionate realism to an exploration of essential shapes and interwoven forms.

*Endless Column*, 1938, cast iron coated in brass

Brâncusi’s work propelled him to the highest echelons of recognition in France, Romania, and the United States. In 1913, he exhibited simultaneously at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris and the Armory Show in New York, cementing his place in the international avant-garde. He arguably reached the pinnacle of his career in 1938 with the completion of a World War I monument in his hometown of Tîrgu-Jiu. This monumental ensemble—The Table of Silence, The Gate of the Kiss, and The Endless Column—was both an artistic triumph and a poignant turning point in his career. Despite this achievement, Brâncusi’s artistic output slowed significantly. In the final 19 years of his life, he produced only about a dozen works, retreating further into solitude even as his fame continued to grow. He died at the age of 81 on March 16, 1957, leaving behind a profound legacy of 215 sculptures and 1,200 photographs—his influence enduring far beyond his own lifetime.

Bibliography

Brezianu, Barbu, and Geist, Sidney. “The Beginnings of Brancusi.” Art Journal 25, no. 1 (1965): 15–25. https://doi.org/10.2307/774863.

Jones, Jonathan. “Carving a Way to Heaven.” the Guardian. The Guardian, January 3, 2004. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2004/jan/03/1.

Macholz, Kaitlin. “How Constantin Brancusi Brazenly Redefined Sculpture.” Artsy, July 20, 2018. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-constantin-brancusi-brazenly-redefined-sculpture.