The Kiss - Constantin Brancusi
ART-101-01
Museum Paper
The Kiss – Constantin Brancusi
Constantin Brancusi, a Romanian sculptor born in 1876, is considered one of the first creators in modern art and was a central figure of the modern movement and a pioneer of abstraction. As a young man he was a craftsman in woodcarving. From 1898 to 1902, he studied at the National Fine Arts School in Bucharest. He was eager to continue his education in Paris. In 1904 Brancusi went to Paris and enrolled in the École des Beaux-Arts in 1905. He worked for two years in the workshop of Antonin Mercié of the École des Beaux-Arts and was invited to enter the workshop of Auguste Rodin. Even though he admired Rodin he left the Rodin studio after only two months. After leaving Rodin's workshop, Brancusi began developing the revolutionary style for which he is known. In 1908, Brancusi created his first major work, The Kiss. In this piece there are two figures that form a closed volume with symmetrical lines. In one of his first direct carvings, he developed his style of the pure, natural use of form that became his trademark and that would influence the work of numerous artists. Brancusi’s The Kiss, is a closed form sculpture. Closed form is when the artwork reflects the raw mass from which it has been carved. You can clearly see the rectangular shape of the limestone that was originally there. The overall impression of this is a solid mass even though some of the original block has been carved away. The shape of this sculpture is very geometric. A rectangular shape is present in the piece. This is because most of the original block of limestone was not cut away leaving the shape of the limestone behind in the sculpture. This work is not meant to be touched and it has a rocky texture. The surface quality of this piece not smooth but not rugged either. You can see without touching that it would feel somewhat rough to the touch. Within this work there is an apparent symmetry between the two figures. The two
Museum Paper
The Kiss – Constantin Brancusi
Constantin Brancusi, a Romanian sculptor born in 1876, is considered one of the first creators in modern art and was a central figure of the modern movement and a pioneer of abstraction. As a young man he was a craftsman in woodcarving. From 1898 to 1902, he studied at the National Fine Arts School in Bucharest. He was eager to continue his education in Paris. In 1904 Brancusi went to Paris and enrolled in the École des Beaux-Arts in 1905. He worked for two years in the workshop of Antonin Mercié of the École des Beaux-Arts and was invited to enter the workshop of Auguste Rodin. Even though he admired Rodin he left the Rodin studio after only two months. After leaving Rodin's workshop, Brancusi began developing the revolutionary style for which he is known. In 1908, Brancusi created his first major work, The Kiss. In this piece there are two figures that form a closed volume with symmetrical lines. In one of his first direct carvings, he developed his style of the pure, natural use of form that became his trademark and that would influence the work of numerous artists. Brancusi’s The Kiss, is a closed form sculpture. Closed form is when the artwork reflects the raw mass from which it has been carved. You can clearly see the rectangular shape of the limestone that was originally there. The overall impression of this is a solid mass even though some of the original block has been carved away. The shape of this sculpture is very geometric. A rectangular shape is present in the piece. This is because most of the original block of limestone was not cut away leaving the shape of the limestone behind in the sculpture. This work is not meant to be touched and it has a rocky texture. The surface quality of this piece not smooth but not rugged either. You can see without touching that it would feel somewhat rough to the touch. Within this work there is an apparent symmetry between the two figures. The two