Brancusi's Sculptures

Brancusi's Sculptures

Brancusi's Sculptures: "Bird in Space" & "Sleeping Muse I"

Both "Bird in Space" and "Sleeping Muse I" are sculptures produced by Constantin Brancusi, who was a Romanian artist from the late nineteenth to the mid twentieth centuries. He was one of the pioneers of abstract art, along with other famous artists such as Kasimir Malevich, Frantisek Kupka, and Wassily Kandinsky from Central and Eastern Europe (Richler 174). The artist is said to have been “reclusive,” residing in a studio in Paris, where he lived with his sculptures and called his works of art “his children” (Richler 178). Both "Bird in Space" and "Sleeping Muse I" are sculptures of animate objects; however, unlike ones from Ancient Greece or Rome, or ones from the High Renaissance period, these works of art are more abstract in style.

There are several models of "Bird in Space"; one was constructed in 1925 using wood, stone, and marble (Richler 178). This one measures around seventy-two inches in height and consists of a narrow feather standing erect on a wooden base. Similar models, but made from different materials such as bronze, were also produced by Brancusi and placed in exhibitions.

Brancusi’s sculpture, "Sleeping Muse I", has different versions as well; one, from 1909-10 is made of marble and measures 6 ¾ in. in height (Adams 549). This is a model of a head, without a body, with markings to show features such as hair, nose, lips, and closed eyes. In "A History of Western Art", Adams says that the sculpture has “an abstract, curvilinear quality and a smooth contour that create an impression of elegance” (549). These qualities which produce the effect can particularly be seen in the shape of the eyes and in the set of the mouth.

Works Cited:

Adams, Laura S. A History of Western Art. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.

Richler, Martha. National Gallery of Art, Washington: A World of Art. London: Scala Books, 1998.

(image from): “Brancusi Sculpture Sets Record at Auction.” 2006. Cultural Romtour. 12 Sept. 2007

See also

Constantin Brâncuşi

Bird in Space


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