Brancusi: An Endless Bibliography is a documentary book – the first of this type – including bibliographical references on the Romanian artist’s life and work from 1897 to 2006, as well as aspects directly or indirectly related to his activity and personality in chronological order. Each year points out the main events relating to Brancusi, together with providing expressive photographs, most of which are shown for the first time.

After five years of research we have found out that the bibliographical documentation remains open, far from completion due to such richness, diversity and extension into the whole world! There have been many writings about Brancusi during his lifetime, and many more would have been, are, and will still be issued! Each gesture, each word written and posthumous ones have been, each metal polishing operation was recorded, analysed, uttered, each cut into wood or stone, each metal polishing operation was recorded, analysed, commented upon by art historians and critics, artists, philosophers, journalists, simple citizens all over the world! Today Brancusi still has an important place in people’s minds! He has fascinated through simplicity, which has always been the most difficult to understand!

Brancusi: An Endless Bibliography begins in 1897, when the first mention was made in the Craiova press, this book can also be read as a journal of the great sculptor, because a title of an article or of a book is an event, a happening and putting them all together we shall obtain his entire life like in a mirror! The anniversary or commemorative Brancusi celebrations are planetary events, culminating in 2001 when an unprecedented thing happened: over 30 volumes relating to his name were written.

The backbone of the Romanian bibliography consists of three Brancusi exegetes – V. G. Paleolog, P. Comarnescu and B. Brezianu. I. Pogolovschi’s contribution to making Brancusi’s work known in the context of his Romanian origin and heritage is also significant! Al. Vlahuta, L. Blaga, and T. Arghezi were the first ones to have guessed the sculptor’s genius and believed in his lucky star. Even his passionate critics – G. Oprescu and G. Calinescu – ended by being some of his greatest admirers! In time I. Frunzetti, M. Deac, I. Mocii, Nina Stanciulescu, D. Grigorescu, A. Petrignara, R. Bogdan, St. Georgescu-Gorgan, C. Zarescu, D. Haulica a.s.o. presented valuable works. A new generation of Brancusi researchers emerged after 1995 – C. R. Velescu, M. Starcea Craciun, D. Gheorghiu, L. Gruia, H. Munteanu, a.s.o. – a generation that seeks to put an end to the traditional approach of the issue by addressing new study directions-anthropological, philosophical, and esoteric ones. Only time will tell whether they have found the right path towards Brancusi’s spirit!

The period after 1990 is characterised by the journalistic boom in Romania, with production of data, many times unchecked and undocumented, on the adventurous existence of Brancusi’s works in Romania, on the expositional and editorial events, or just newly issued documents. This domain had a brilliant representative in the art critic and literary journalist, C. R. Constantinescu.

The foreign Brancusi research is very well represented by E. Pound, R. Virac, C. Zervos, S. Geist, Carola Giedion-Welcker, J. Epstein, J. J. Sweeney, George Hetzler, J. Cassou, M. Ragon, S. Fauchereau, E. Shanes, D. Lewis, Athena Tacha Spear, Fr. Teja Bach, Alexandra Parigoris, Edith Balas, Sanda Miller, Ann Temkin, Ina Klein a.s.o. A tireless researcher and book editor on Brancusi is Marielle Tabart, curator at the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris.

Having issued this brief introduction to the book, I can see how difficult it is to write anything on Brancusi when so much has already been written!

Other excerpts from the book