Radical Simplification

Constantin Brancusi 

'Prométhée'

Executed in 1911

Constantin Brancusi's Prométhée exemplifies the unique sculptural language Constantin Brancusi developed in the early years of the 20th century. Constantin Brancusi's Prométhée displays an unprecedented stylization of form in which the artist re-established his own artistic idiom. After arriving in Paris from Bucharest in 1904, Constantin Brancusi proceeded to revolutionize the boundaries of sculptural form. He created a sophisticated minimalism that combined influences ranging from primitive models to Romanian folk traditions and the sleek machine aesthetic of the industrial age. Brancusi took form to the brink of abstraction while relying upon the romantic power of representation. Constantin Brancusi's Prométhée is a brilliant study in radical simplification. Prométhée is devoid of all pathos, the ovoid shape that amounts to an almost perfect sphere, barely indicated by the pinching of the nose and the suggestion of an ear. This work will be up for sale at Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on May 2nd 2012.  Estimate is $6-$8 million.  

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