Reclining Nude

1909

Meeting Modigliani

In 1909 the collector Paul Alexandre introduces Brâncuși to Amedeo Modigliani; the two become friends, and the Italian draws his portrait in black and red pencil that year. From 1909 to 1914 Modigliani works chiefly in sculpture, and his elongated limestone heads, with simplified forms and polished surfaces, are related to Brâncuși’s sculpture.

17 February 1913

The Armory Show in New York: five sculptures

In December 1912 the Armory Show organisers Arthur Bowen Davies, Walt Kuhn and Walter Pach visit Paris in search of works; the catalogue lists five sculptures by Brâncuși — “The Kiss”, “Sleeping Muse”, “A Muse”, “Mademoiselle Pogany” and “Torso”. The exhibition opens in New York on 17 February 1913 and travels to Chicago and Boston; his compact forms provoke laughter, caricatures and arguments in the press, and “Mademoiselle Pogany” is compared to an egg.

12 March – 4 April 1914

His first US solo show at the gallery 291

Edward Steichen selects the works for Brâncuși’s first solo exhibition in the United States: eight sculptures, including “Măiastra” and “Mademoiselle Pogany”, are shown at 291, the gallery run by Alfred Stieglitz. Agnes and Eugene Meyer pay for their transportation and begin buying works directly from Brâncuși.

January 1920

“Princess X” excluded from the Salon des Indépendants

In January 1920 the organizers of the Salon des Indépendants exclude “Princess X” (1915–1916) because they regard its shape as phallic. Fernand Léger and other friends of Brâncuși protest, the sculpture is returned to the exhibition, and the dispute leads to the manifesto “Pour l’indépendance de l’art”, signed by more than seventy artists and writers; Erik Satie signed the protest petition on 25 February 1920.

1926

Back to the United States: the Wildenstein and Brummer exhibitions

In 1926 Brâncuși returns to the United States: the Wildenstein Gallery presents his work in a group exhibition and then in a solo exhibition (16 February to 3 March), and on 17 November another exhibition opens at the Brummer Gallery, remaining on view until 15 December.

1926–1928

Brancusi v. United States: a bird is a work of art

During the trip United States customs officials detain a bronze “Bird in Space”, classify it as an article of metal and impose the tariff applied to manufactured objects. The case “Brancusi v. United States” ends in 1928 with the sculpture being accepted as a work of art.