Constantin Brancusi : The Miracle/Seal - Le miracle (1931)
Constantin Brancusi revisited subjects and forms frequently throughout his career, executing variations of earlier sculptures with subtly reimagined contours and in new mediums and scales. Animals were a common subject for Brancusi, though excepting humans, he focused exclusively on those that fly or swim. The shapes of such animals were suited to the compact volumes that the sculptor favored, as well as his desire to depict speed and movement.
In The Miracle the simplified forms suggest not only the creatures’ namesakes but also their fluid means of locomotion. Brancusi captured the seeming weightlessness of bodies suspended in water or air. The effect is striking given the significant mass of marble works. For Brancusi, animals also held symbolic weight and transcendent possibilities. In the case of The Miracle, the breaching form may allude to emotional regeneration, as inspired by the sight of an acquaintance of the artist experiencing catharsis while swimming.
Constantin Brancusi : The Miracle/Seal - Le miracle (1931)
Constantin Brancusi revisited subjects and forms frequently throughout his career, executing variations of earlier sculptures with subtly reimagined contours and in new mediums and scales. Animals were a common subject for Brancusi, though excepting humans, he focused exclusively on those that fly or swim. The shapes of such animals were suited to the compact volumes that the sculptor favored, as well as his desire to depict speed and movement.
In The Miracle the simplified forms suggest not only the creatures’ namesakes but also their fluid means of locomotion. Brancusi captured the seeming weightlessness of bodies suspended in water or air. The effect is striking given the significant mass of marble works. For Brancusi, animals also held symbolic weight and transcendent possibilities. In the case of The Miracle, the breaching form may allude to emotional regeneration, as inspired by the sight of an acquaintance of the artist experiencing catharsis while swimming.