Brancusi's 'Bird in Space' Sets World Auction Record for Sculpture at $27,456,000

NEW YORK CITY

:A previously unrecorded sculpture by Constantin Brancusi and one of his most celebrated compositions, "Bird in Space," soared to $27,456,000 at Christie's May 4 Impressionist and Modern Art evening sale, setting new world auction records for the artist and for any sculpture sold at auction.

The audience's undisputed favorite, Brancusi's gracious bird glided easily above its presale estimate of $8/12 million. The sculpture came from a European private collection where it had been since 1937. Previously it was in the collection of Léonie Ricou, a turn of the Twentieth Century Parisian collector and friend to many artists.

The recently rediscovered "Bird in Space," carved in 1922-23, reflects a crucial turning point in Brancusi's sculptural evolution and in his extended series devoted to the bird subject. The sculpture stands between the version belonging to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the one at the Fondation Beyeler, Switzerland. With these other two known early versions, the sculpture marks the very beginning of Brancusi's "Birds in Space."

Apart from its art historical importance, however, the most striking element in "Bird in Space" is the sophistication and delicacy of its execution. The subject of the bird is so closely captured within the carved marble that even the stone's white veins play an important role, cleverly linking the two parts of the body into a unified whole. From whichever angle the sculpture is observed, there is a wonderful sense of balance and refinement, taking full advantage of the third dimension.

Ricou acquired the sculpture and had it shipped to Brussels in 1928. After she died in circa 1930, the sculpture remained with her second husband, the Belgian Alexandre Stoppelaere, until 1937, when it was sold to a predecessor of the consignor. Amazingly, the original crate, first used when the piece was shipped to Brussels, survived, preserving the sculpture until its recent discovery.

The overall sale totaled $142,892,800, the second highest total at Christie's since the spring season of 1990.

A complete report of the sale will appear in a future issue.