Loading...Le commencement du monde
The Beginning of the World
Constantin Brancusi (1876 - 1957)
Date
1924
Material
Bronze
Extent
16,5 × 28,5 × 15,5 cm
Type
Beelden
Identifier
KM 123.593
Source
Acquired with support from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Mondriaan Foundation and the Rembrandt Association, partly thanks to the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds
Perfect beauty
The nickname for The beginning of the world is ‘Brancusi’s egg’. According to the artist, this asymmetrical oval represents perfect beauty. The reduced, compact form refers not only to the beginning of the world, but also to the origins and mystery of human life.
Penetrate to the core
A significant part of Brancusi’s work is characterized by abstraction and simplicity. But for him, ‘simplicity’ is not a goal in itself, and nor is abstraction. In his work he seeks to penetrate to the core. ‘If you approach the actual meaning of things, you achieve simplicity in spite of yourself’.
Unique visual idiom
That ‘actual meaning’ cannot be expressed by depicting people, animals or objects realistically, as that is merely the exterior. And so Brancusi develops his own visual idiom. These days, he is regarded as the father of modern sculpture.
