Constantin Brancusi – Artwork & Bio of the Romanian Sculptor

Constantin Brancusi was a Romanian sculptor born on 19 February 1876 in Hobitza, Romania. After leaving his father’s home at eleven, Brancusi moved to Craiova, where he took on several menial jobs to survive. During this period, Brancusi also studied at the School of Arts and Crafts till 1898. Subsequently, he studied sculpture and modeling at the National School of Fine Arts and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

In the early 1900s, Brancusi started gaining recognition for his style and held his first American exhibition at the Armory Show in New York in 1913. The following year, Alfred Stieglitz organized Brancusi’s first solo show in his Photo-Secession studio. Despite being a subject of constant criticism, Brancusi’s works remained widely known. Before his death on 16 March 1957, he completed a set of public artworks and willed his studio to the Museum of Modern Art.

What was Constantin Brancusi Known For?

Constantin Brancusi was known for his direct carving style of sculpting rather than clay modeling. Brancusi understood the peculiar qualities of each material he used and exploited their distinctions. Also, he used biomorphic forms to express the aesthetics of his artworks. Brancusi primarily used highly polished marble, wood, bronze, and stone in his creative process.

Who was Constantin Brancusi Influenced By?

Constantin Brancusi was influenced by Auguste Rodin. After leaving the studio of Antonin Mercie at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Brancusi worked as a studio assistant to Auguste Rodin. Though he only studied under Rodin for a month, Brancusi’s works showcase the building block of Rodin’s aesthetics.