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Lot #404
Constantin Brancusi Autograph Letter Signed

Handwritten letter by Brancusi: "I wanted to complete The Bird before writing"

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Estimate: $5000+
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Description

Handwritten letter by Brancusi: "I wanted to complete The Bird before writing"

Pioneering Romanian sculptor (1876-1957) whose art emphasizes clean geometrical lines that balance forms inherent in his materials with the symbolic allusions of representational art. Extremely rare ALS in French, signed “C. Brancuși,” one page, 7 x 8.25, July 3, 1939. Written from Paris, a letter to his friend, the British art collector Jim Ede, in full (translated): "I'm sorry to reply to you so late and to still have nothing precise to tell you. I wanted to complete The Bird before writing to you, but there you are: I restarted it twice and it's not yet ready. Wait a little longer—I will write to you when it's finished. I think of you often. My best to you and to Helene." In fine condition.

Some of Brancusi's most famous sculptures featured birds in flight, most notably his famed Bird in Space series, which concentrated not on the physical attributes of the bird, but instead on its movement; the bird's wings and feathers are removed, the swell of the body is elongated, and the head and beak are reduced to a slanted oval plane. In 1941 he completed a bronze cast—perhaps the example referred to here—which resides in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Brancusi's works are among the most desirable and expensive sculptures the world has ever seen.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Fine Autograph and Artifacts
  • Dates: #639 - Ended July 13, 2022





This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
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