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THE BRANCUSI FILES

An independent research archive & journal

The BrancusiFiles

Sculpture, photographs
& stories behind the forms.

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Constantin Brâncuși · Selected photographs01 — 13
A polished golden bird in profile, its arched neck and open beak illuminated against a dark background.

Măiastra

1911

Polished bronze

Tate, London

A white marble bird seen from the front, with a rounded breast and upright neck, on a cylindrical marble base.

Măiastra

1912

White marble

Philadelphia Museum of Art

A wide museum reconstruction of Brancusi’s workshop, with carved bases, tools and sculptures arranged before a projection of the artist at work.

The studio, reconstructed

2024 photograph

Sculptures, bases and working tools

Brancusi retrospective, Centre Pompidou, Paris

Black-and-white portrait of Brancusi with a full beard and dark, attentive eyes against a textured wall.

Constantin Brancusi

1922

Photograph by Edward Steichen

Historical portrait

A black-and-white studio photograph in which a gleaming bird rises among roughly carved stone and repeated geometric bases.

Brancusi’s studio

1920

Gelatin silver photograph by Edward Steichen

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

An elongated golden bronze bird curves upward from a narrow foot, its polished surface reflecting a warm light.

Bird in Space

2012 photograph

Polished bronze

Photographed in Philadelphia

A slender golden fish rests on a reflective disc above a tall wooden base with an oval opening.

Fish

1926

Bronze, metal and wood

Tate, London

A polished bronze head with large almond-shaped eyes and a dark patinated crown leans above two slender hands.

Mademoiselle Pogany I

1913

Polished bronze with black patina

Speed Art Museum, Louisville

The repeating silhouette of the Endless Column rises above a dark park at sunset beneath a broad blue sky.

Endless Column at sunset

1937–1938

Cast-iron modules on a steel core

Târgu Jiu, Romania

A carved Romanian farm gate frames a museum display of Brancusi’s wooden forms, with early sculptures in glass cases on either side.

Working in wood

2024 photograph

Traditional carving and sculptural furniture

Brancusi retrospective, Centre Pompidou, Paris

Geometric stone stools recede along a shaded, tree-lined path toward the Gate of the Kiss in the distance.

Alley of Chairs

1937–1938 ensemble

Stone

Târgu Jiu, Romania

The Table of Silence and its circular stools sit in a quiet clearing framed by trees and the hanging branches of a willow.

The Table of Silence in the park

1937–1938

Stone

Târgu Jiu, Romania

A low timber house with a deep shingled roof and carved veranda stands in a green garden.

The memorial house at Hobița

2016 photograph

Timber and shingle

Constantin Brancusi Memorial House, Romania

From the journalAll seven essays

A closer look.

From the arrangement of a studio
to a bird that changed the law.

A wide museum reconstruction of Brancusi’s workshop, with carved bases, tools and sculptures arranged before a projection of the artist at work.Essay 01

The studio3 min read

The Studio as a Work of Art

At impasse Ronsin, Brancusi made the distance between sculptures part of the work. His studio offers a different way to think about looking, arranging and preserving.

A black-and-white studio photograph in which a gleaming bird rises among roughly carved stone and repeated geometric bases.Essay 02

Photography3 min read

Brancusi Behind the Camera

With advice from Man Ray, Brancusi turned photography into a way of thinking through sculpture. Light, reflection and even imperfect exposures became part of the experiment.

An elongated golden bronze bird curves upward from a narrow foot, its polished surface reflecting a warm light.Essay 03

Art and ideas3 min read

When a Bird Went to Court

A customs dispute over Bird in Space forced a New York court to examine what sculpture could be. The most revealing moment involved an ancient Egyptian hawk.

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