Biography of Constantin Brancusi, Romanian Sculptor

Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957) was a Romanian sculptor who became a French citizen shortly before his death. He was one of the most important and influential sculptors of the 20th century. His use of abstract forms to represent natural concepts led the way toward minimalist art in the 1960s and beyond. Many observers consider his Bird in Space pieces to be among the best abstract representations of flight ever created. Fast Facts: Constantin Brancusi Known For: SculptorStyles: Cubism, minimalismBorn: February 19, 1876 in Hobita, RomaniaDied: March 16, 1957 in Paris, FranceEducation: Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris, FranceSelected Works: The Kiss (1908), Sleeping Muse (1910), Bird in Space (1919), Endless Column (1938)Notable Quote: Architecture is inhabited sculpture. Early Life and Education Born into a farming family in the foothills of Romanias Carpathian Mountains, Brancusi began working at age seven. He herded sheep while showing early skills at carving wood. Young Constantin was a frequent runaway, attempting to escape abusive treatment by his father and brothers from an earlier marriage. Brancusi finally left his home village at age 11. He worked for a grocer, and two years later he moved to the Romanian city of Craiova. There, he held a range of jobs, including waiting tables and building cabinets. The income allowed him to enroll in the School of Arts and Crafts, where Brancusi became a skilled woodworker. One of his ambitious projects was the carving of a violin out of an orange crate. While studying sculpture at the National School of Fine Arts in Romanias capital, Bucharest, Constantin Brancusi won competitive awards for his sculptures. One of his earliest works still in existence is a statue of a man with skin removed to expose the muscles underneath. It was one of his first attempts to show the internal essence of something instead of merely the outside surfaces. After first moving to Munich, Germany, Brancusi decided to further his art career in 1904 by moving to Paris. According to legends surrounding the artist, he walked most of the way from Munich to Paris. Reportedly, he sold his watch to pay for the boat crossing across Lake Constance where Germany, Switzerland, and Austria meet. Brancusi enrolled in the Paris Ecole des Beaux-Arts from 1905 through 1907. It served as a ticket into the circles of some of the eras most famous artists. Constantin Brancusi in 1905. Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain Rodin Influence Constantin Brancusi began working as a studio assistant to Auguste Rodin in 1907. The elder artist was by then recognized as one of the greatest sculptors of all time. Brancusi only lasted for a month as an assistant. He admired Rodin, but he claimed, Nothing grows under the shadow of big trees. Although he worked to distance himself from Rodin, much of Brancusis earliest Parisian work shows the impact of his short tenure in the famed sculptors studio. His 1907 sculpture, titled A Boy, is a powerful rendering of a child, emotional and realistic in form. Brancusi had already began smoothing out the edges of the sculpture, taking him away from Rodins trademark rough, textured style. A Boy (1907). Nina Leen / Getty Images One of Brancusis first important commissions was a funeral monument for a wealthy Romanian landowner in 1907. The piece, titled The Prayer is a young girl kneeling. It is perhaps one of the best examples of a bridge between Rodins emotionally powerful gestures in carving and Brancusis later simplified forms. Echoes of Primitive Art Brancusis first version of The Kiss, completed in 1908, is notable for a significant break from the work of Auguste Rodin. The two figures embracing each other are highly simplified, and they fit into a suggested cube-like space. Although it would not become the main thrust of his work, many observers see Brancusis The Kiss as an early form of cubism. As with other works, the artist created many more versions of The Kiss throughout his career. Each version simplified the lines and surfaces more and more to move closer and closer to abstraction. The Kiss (1916). Francis Miller / Getty Images The Kiss also echoes the materials and composition of ancient Assyrian and Egyptian art. The piece is perhaps the best representation of Brancusis fascination with primitive sculpture, which followed him throughout his career. Late in his active career, Brancusi explored Romanian mythology and folklore with wood carvings. His 1914 work The Sorceress is carved from a tree trunk at the point where three branches met. He drew inspiration for the subject matter from a tale about a flying witch. Clean, Abstract Shapes in Sculptures Brancusis most celebrated and influential sculptural style appeared in his first version of the Sleeping Muse, created in 1910. It is an oval-shaped disembodied head cast in bronze with the details of the face modified into polished, smooth curves. He returned to the subject many times, creating works in plaster and bronze. The 1924 sculpture titled The Beginning of the World represents a logical conclusion to this line of exploration. Its an entirely smooth oval shape without any details to disturb the surface. Impressed by the beauty and peaceful appearance of Sleeping Muse, patrons requested commissioned heads, busts, and portraits by Brancusi throughout his career. Baroness Renee-Irana Frachon was the subject of the first version of Sleeping Muse. Other notable abstract sculptures of heads include 1911s Head of Prometheus. Birds became an obsession in Constant Brancusis mature style of work. His 1912 work Maiastra, named after a bird from Romanian legends, is a marble sculpture with the birds head raised as it flies. Twenty-eight other versions of Maiastra followed over the next 20 years. Perhaps Brancusis most celebrated sculptures are from his series of polished-bronze pieces titled Bird in Space, which first appeared in 1919. The form is distilled so precisely that many observers believed Brancusi accurately caught the spirit of flight in a still form. Another concept that Brancusi frequently explored was the stacking of rhomboid pieces, one on top of another to create a tall column. His first experiment with the design appeared in 1918. The most mature example of this idea is the Endless Column completed and installed outdoors in the Romanian city of Targu Jiu in 1938. Standing nearly 30 meters tall, the sculpture is a memorial to Romanian soldiers who fought in World War I. The height of the column stretching into the sky represents the infinite connection between heaven and earth. Endless Column (1918). Ion Gheban / Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons 3.0 Although Brancusis most important work points in the direction of complete abstraction, he considered himself a realist. He was continually searching for the inner reality of his subjects. He believed that every object had a fundamental nature that could be represented in art. Peak Career Success Constantin Brancusis work first appeared on display in the United States at the landmark 1913 Armory Show in New York. Dada artist Marcel Duchamp drew some of the most strident criticism from art critics. He became a significant collector of Brancusis work and helped introduce him to many more fellow artists. Photographer Alfred Stieglitz, later husband of Georgia OKeefe, hosted Brancusis first solo show in New York. It was a success and positioned Brancusi as one of the most acclaimed rising sculptors in the world. George Rinhart / Getty Images Among Brancusis expanding circle of friends and confidants were the artists Amadeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Rousseau. Although he was a vital member of the Parisian avant-garde, Brancusi always maintained strong connections with Romanian artists both in Paris and in Romania. He was known for frequently dressing in the costume common to Romanian peasants, and his studio echoed the design of peasant homes from the area where Brancusi grew up. Constantin Brancusi was unable to avoid controversy as his star rose. In 1920, Princess X, his entry into a Parisian Salon show, caused a scandal. While abstract, the sculpture is phallic in form. When public outrage caused it to be removed from display, the artist expressed shock and dismay. Brancusi explained that it was merely designed to represent the essence of womanhood. He later explained that the sculpture was his depiction of Princess Marie Bonaparte looking down with the founded base representing her beautiful bust. A version of Bird in Space caused controversy in 1926. Photographer Edward Steichen purchased the sculpture and had it shipped from Paris to the United States. Customs officers did not allow the usual duty exemption for works of art. They insisted that the abstract sculpture was an industrial piece. Brancusi ultimately won the ensuing legal proceedings and helped set an important standard that sculpture did not have to be representational to be accepted as a legitimate work of art. Later Life and Work By the 1930s, Brancusis fame extended around the world. In 1933, he earned a commission from the Indian Maharajah of Indore to build a meditation temple. Unfortunately, when Brancusi finally traveled to India in 1937 to begin construction, the Maharajah was away on travels. He ultimately died before the artist could construct the temple. Brancusi visited the United States for the last time in 1939. He participated in an Art In Our Time exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The sculpture Flying Turtle was his last major completed work. La Negresse Blonde II (1933). Sissssou / Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons 4.0 The first major retrospective of Brancusis work took place at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 1955. It was a significant success. Constantin Brancusi died on March 16, 1957, at age 81. He bequeathed his studio, with carefully placed and documented sculptures, to the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. It can be visited in a reconstructed version in a building outside the Pompidou Center in Paris. Brancusis caretakers in his later years were a Romanian refugee couple. He became a French citizen in 1952, and that allowed him to make the caretakers his heirs. Legacy Constantin Brancusi was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. His use of abstract forms derived from natural concepts influenced a wide range of future artists such as Henry Moore. Works like Bird in Space were landmarks in the development of minimalist art. Head of Prometheus (1911). Nina Leen / Getty Images Brancusi always maintained a secure connection to his humble beginnings in life. He was a skilled handyman, and he made most of his furniture, utensils, and home carpentry. Late in life, many visitors to his home commented on the spiritually comforting nature of his simple surroundings. Sources Pearson, James. Constantin Brancusi: Sculpting the Essence of Things. Crescent Moon, 2018.Shanes, Eric. Constantin Brancusi. Abbeville Press, 1989.

Essay about Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the...

Ulysses S. Grant the 18th president of the United States who served two consecutive terms, Andrew Jackson being the last to do so, has border lined the average presidential ranking with a 23 in 2009 and a 33 in 2000. Grant’s legacy will include the huge impact of Reconstruction after the Civil War with much repairing left on his hands. Grant was Republican and supported Civil War values that included union, freedom and equality. Grant expanded federal law that protected African American’s civil rights against terrorism in the South. Grants Reconstruction policy was challenged by the difficulties of preserving democracy and equality against the resistance of Ignorant Southerners Reconstruction During Reconstruction, Freedmen (freed†¦show more content†¦The long-term goal for the Grant Administration was to open Korea to Western markets in the same way Commodore Matthew Perry had opened Japan in 1854 by a Naval display of military force. On May 30, 1871 Rear Admiral John Rodgers with a fleet of five ships, part of the Asiatic Squadron, arrived at the mouth of the Salee River below Seoul. The fleet included theColorado, one of the largest ships in the Navy with 47 guns, 47 officers, and a 571-man crew. While waiting for senior Korean officials to negotiate, Rogers sent ships out to make soundings of the Salee River for navigational purposes.[118][119] The American fleet was fired upon by a Korean fort, but there was little damage. Rogers gave the Korean government ten days to apologize or begin talks, but the Royal Court kept silent. After ten days passed, on June 10, Rogers began a series of amphibious assaults that destroyed 5 Korean forts. These military engagements were known as the Battle of Ganghwa. Several hundred Korean soldiers and three Americans were killed. Korea still refused to negotiate, and the American fleet sailed away. The Koreans refer to this 1871 U.S. military action as Shinmiyangyo. President Grant defended Rogers in his third annual message to Congress in December, 1871. After a change in regimes in Seoul, in 1881, the U.S. negotiated a treaty – the first treaty between Korea and a Western nation.[118] 2 Grant was a Republican, and his main supporters were the Radical and Stalwartfactions.Show MoreRelatedEssay about Hiram Ulysses Grant : Sloppy Drunk or Honorable Icon?534 Words   |  3 PagesHiram Ulysses Grant was born on April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio. Ulysses grew up loving horses. He loved riding, and taking care of them. His father Jesse Root Grant was a tanner and made a good living for his family. His mother Hannah Simpson Grant was said to be a mysterious and distant woman who didnt offer much Support or affection to young Ulysses. Nonetheless his parents had very high Expectations of him. His father wanted him to attend school and become a successfulRead MoreEssay on Ulysses S. 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George Orwells 1984 Essay Example For Students

George Orwells 1984 Essay Many great novels have been written on many different topics, George Orwells 1984 is no exception to this. This novel takes place in a country called Oceania; it is what is left of a destroyed London city, in 1984. There are only three continents according to the book, Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. These three countries are always at war that is why most of them are described to be in ruins. Oceania is controlled by a government called Big Brother.. Big Brother has taken total control of everybody’s mind, regulating the minds of all the smart people to perform just like the not-so-smart people. Everything that a person does is watched and controlled by this government. It has gone to the point where people are not even allowed to have a diary, or even enjoy sex. To add to it all the government has re written history making it the way they want it to be, sometimes totally erasing it. There is one man who is destined to fight against this government; he is Winston Smith the main character of the novel. Throughout the story we notice that this novel is clearly based on the conflict of Man vs. Society, I believe I can explain this to us. In this form of government opposite sexes are not to enjoy sex but to do it just for breeding purposes. Big Brother believes that sex stimulates the mind and opens the door to different thoughts, thoughts of rebellion and enjoyment. Winston meets a girl by the name of Julia at a glass store, the next day she tells him that she is in love with him. Winston agrees to meet with the girl at a certain location and they have sex. This really breaks the ice for them as a result they begin to tell each other their thoughts without worrying about the thought police. They tell each other how much they dislike Big Brother and how they wish they knew the real past. They both know that this is a serious crime but neither one of them seems to care. One of the worst laws in Big Brother is to keep some sort of journal or diary, but Winston doesnt seem to care. He strategically finds a spot in his apartment where the telescreen cannot see him and he is able to write a journal. He writes all his thoughts and fears about everything that is a part of his life, because of this he is always paranoid about somebody figuring out that he is against the government. This really helps him out to deal with what is going on in his life, he thinks of the journal as his best friend, the only thing he can really trust. He knows that he is probably the only person that keeps a journal and that if he got caught he would be vanished from existence. Yet he does this rebellious thing against all society every day. When a so-called friend tells Winston that there is an underground club for people that believe in the same thins he does, without thinking twice he joins. He feels honored that there are more people that believe in individuality like he does. This is a source of comfort to him; he gets really interested that he evens read an entire book in a really short period of time written by the founder of the club. This is eventually what gets Winston caught by the thought police, it turns out to be a set up to catch people like Winston. This has been a very intriguing novel to read. It has dealt with every kind of conflict that could be categorized under Man vs. Society. George Orwell tells a story where the government becomes so strong that they begin to dominate everything even the mind. This novel shows the meaning of being an individual and what it means to each individual himself. This novel will be long time classic, just because it deals with such odd forms of Man vs. Society.