Constantin Brancusi – a pioneer of sculptural avant-garde from a remote Romanian village

Constantin Brancusi was an outstanding Romanian sculptor of the 20th century, a bright representative of avant-garde art. The master’s work was greatly influenced by Romanian folk art, and his biography is an example of the difficult fate of a great artist who achieved recognition during his lifetime.

Constantin Brancusi is rightfully considered one of the founders of abstract sculptural art. His works always arouse great public interest at auctions and cost tens of millions of dollars.

Biography

Constantin Brancusi was born on February 19, 1876 in the village of Hobiţa, located in the southwest of modern Romania, into a peasant family. He was the youngest of six sons, and from a young age he was fond of wood carving and clay modeling. At the age of nine, the boy’s father died, and immediately after finishing primary school, Constantin was forced to work for several years as a messenger for a local merchant, and then as a servant in Craiova, in order to help his mother financially.

When the young artist turned 18, he made a violin from scrap materials, which was very much liked by a wealthy industrialist. Impressed by the young man’s talent, the entrepreneur helped the young man get a place to study at the art school in Craiova. Brancusi graduated with honors from this educational institution in 1898 and was enrolled in the Bucharest School of Arts, where he received a full-fledged art education and became the winner of several prestigious awards. Soon, the young sculptor received his first major order for the production of a public monument – a bust of General Carol Davila.

But the sculpture created by the artist did not please the strict commission, whose members expressed many complaints about the work and demanded that it be redone. The young master refused not only the revision, but also part of the author’s fee and decided to walk to Paris. Having said goodbye to his mother, Constantin Brancusi set off on a long journey through Austria, Germany and Switzerland. In Vienna, he stayed for several months to get acquainted with the collections of local museums. Then the artist reached Munich, where he also lived for some time and again set off on the road. Already on the territory of France, not far from the town of Luneville, the young man fell ill with pneumonia and almost died, but doctors from the women’s hospital nursed him back to health.

Having recovered from a serious illness, Constantin Brancusi did not risk walking further and traveled the rest of the way to Paris by train. Upon arrival in the capital of France, the 29-year-old artist was enrolled in the Higher School of Arts, but studied there for only a year and dropped out. He was invited to work as an apprentice to Auguste Rodin, but Brancusi refused and decided to become an independent sculptor.

To achieve his ambitious goal, Constantin rented a small studio apartment in Montmartre and began to develop his own revolutionary style. In the context of increased interest in avant-garde art, Brancusi’s works were in demand by the public. Within a few years, the master’s sculptures were exhibited in Paris and Bucharest, and in 1914, they were seen by New Yorkers.

Since then, Constantin Brancusi has become one of the most famous sculptors in Europe and America. He periodically visited the United States, but mainly lived in Paris. In his studio, the sculptor arranged the atmosphere in the spirit of his native Romania, where he received friends, played the violin and cooked national Carpathian dishes.

The closest relationship the master maintained was with the composer Erik Satie, but their friendship lasted only until 1925, when the eccentric music reformer died of cirrhosis of the liver. For many years, Constantin Brancusi led a carefree and cheerful lifestyle. He was never married, but spent a lot of time in the company of women, loved good wine and noisy companies.

The closest relationship the master maintained was with the composer Erik Satie, but their friendship lasted only until 1925, when the eccentric music reformer died of cirrhosis of the liver. For many years, Constantin Brancusi led a carefree and cheerful lifestyle. He was never married, but spent a lot of time in the company of women, loved good wine and noisy companies.

For many years, the sculptor was fascinated by mythology and folk tales, drew inspiration for his works from African art and admired Egyptian sculpture. Despite invitations from the authorities, the artist refused to move to Romania until his death, although he completed several orders for his fellow countrymen. Only in 1952 did the artist receive French citizenship, but his life was already coming to an end.