In Search of the Ideal Shape. Constantin Brancusi (b. Hobia, Romania, 1876; d. Paris, 1957) ranks among the pre-eminent modernist sculptors and has exercised a defining influence over generations of contemporary artists. Having completed his academic training in Romania, he set out at the age of twenty-eight for a tour of Europe before settling in Paris. Organic and stripped down to the essential, his works establish him as a pioneer of sculptural abstraction in the early twentieth century. Brancusi's persistent pursuit of a creative ideal is manifest in the formal variations of a few motifs and his playful exploration of diverse materials and surfaces. He deftly used specific pedestals, lighting, and movement as well as photography and film to dramatize his sculptures.

The retrospective at the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin--produced in cooperation with the Centre Pompidou, Paris--is accompanied by this comprehensive catalogue, which sheds light on the manifold facets of Brancusi's oeuvre: it features major works from international collections as well as views of his studio. Photographs of the artist from his personal collection round out the extensive plate section. With an introduction by Ariane Coulondre; and other essays by Nina Schallenberg on Brancusi's staging of his works, and Maike Steinkamp on the reception of his art in Europe.