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Leda

A work made of marble.
© 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

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  • A work made of marble.

Date:

1920

Artist:

Constantin Brancusi
French, born Romania, 1876–1957

About this artwork

Sculptor Constantin Brancusi believed the material with which he worked had its own life, a uniqueness and essence that he had to seek out in order to reveal the form contained within. In Leda, sculptural metamorphosis became the very subject of the work. According to classical mythology, the god Zeus changed into a swan in order to seduce the beautiful Leda. Brancusi explained to visitors to his studio that he chose to transform the transformation—changing Leda, rather than Zeus, into a swan. He explained, “I never could imagine a male being turned into a swan, impossible, but a woman, yes, quite easily.” Brancusi envisioned the form “ceaselessly creating a new life, a new rhythm,” which he enhanced by its circular concrete base, a type that he designed by 1916 and used in various sizes for many different sculptures.

Status

On loan to Centre Pompidou in Paris for Brancusi

Department

Modern Art

Artist

Constantin Brancusi

Title

Leda

Place

France (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1920

Medium

Marble

Inscriptions

none

Dimensions

Marble: 55.9 × 66 × 21.6 cm (22 × 26 × 8 1/2 in.); Circular base: 66 × 121.9 cm (26 × 48 in.) (diameter)

Credit Line

Bequest of Katherine S. Dreier

Reference Number

1953.195

Copyright

© 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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