Audio Tour Stop 18

Bird in Space, Constantin Brâncuși

NGA, East Building, EU-415-C, CENTER
Part of East Building: Featured Selections

While this sculpture might seem abstract, Constantin Brancusi insisted that his works revealed the inner essence of his subjects. His work drew on traditions of African sculpture and Romanian folk carving, and he turned the pedestal into an integral component of the art. Brancusi worked on the Bird in Space series for years, imagining it as an ensemble that would be his crowning achievement. Unlike other sculptors, Brancusi did not have a large workshop; rather, he worked alone with his materials, in this case carving the stone and polishing the brass.

Bird in Space (English)
The top section of this abstract sculpture is made up of a vertical, elongated form cast in gleaming brass that swells gently at the center and tapers to a point at either end. Near the bottom point, the form flares out slightly to make a tall, conical foot. This sits atop a short, cylindrical, white limestone base on a wood pedestal. The pedestal is carved to look like a disc at the center flanked above and below by semicircles with the flat edges facing up and down. The sculpture is photographed against a pale gray background.
Constantin Brâncuși, Bird in Space, 1927, brass, limestone, and wood, Given in loving memory of her husband, Taft Schreiber, by Rita Schreiber, 1989.31.3

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