Artist field note

Constantin Brancusi

The object pared down until essence becomes form.

Appears inSculpture
Sleeping Muse by Constantin Brancusi
Art Institute of Chicago · Rights may be restricted · Rights reviewSource ↗

02 / 05

Sleeping Muse

1910

A head becomes a polished oval. Portraiture approaches an object that could be dream, egg or face.

The five in one idea

Brancusi showed that simplification need not mean less meaning; a reduced form can intensify an idea.