Constantin Antonovici
Girl Torso, Modern Marble Sculpture by Antonovici
1958

About the Item

An original carved marble sculpture by Constantin Antonovici from his Torso Series. Referenced in "Constantin Antonovici: Sculptor of Owls", pg 79 Antonovici was born in Neamt, Romania on February 18, 1911, and graduated from the Fine Arts Academy in Iasi, Romania, in 1939. In 1940, Antonovici studied in Zagreb with the famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovici, until his arrest by Italian fascists. Antonovici himself survived imprisonment in Germany for his refusal to fight on the side of the Nazis. After the war, he continued his studies in Vienna, under the tutelage of Professor Fritz Behn. In 1945 and again in 1947, Antonovici studied woodcarving in Tirol, Germany. He then traveled to Italy and finally to Paris where he met Constantin Brancusi, with whom he worked until 1951. Antonovici was the recipient of the only certificate Brancusi ever offered to a fellow sculptor. Even though artists more famous, such as Isamu Noguchi, Henry Moore, Jean Arp and Modigliani, collaborated with Brancusi, no one worked closer with the master than Antonovici. Although Brancusi is often said to have given up on famous sculptors whom he did not consider worthy, Antonovici, thirty-five years his junior, captured his masters respect. He impressed by using a variety of materials, including wood, bronze, aluminum, marble, stone, and plastic. He also possessed an artistic lucidity that allowed him to stylize and simplify to find fundamental and essential forms, which was also central to Brancusi's art. Antonovici's recurring motif which surfaces almost obsessively throughout his creation was the owl, which he believed shared the sculptors capacity to see in the dark.

Creator:
Constantin Antonovici (1911 - 2002, Romanian)
Creation Year:
1958
Dimensions:
Height: 24 in (60.96 cm)Width: 15 in (38.1 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)
Medium:
Marble
Movement & Style:
Modern
Period:
1950-1959
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Long Island City, NY
Reference Number:
Seller: RO802651stDibs: LU46613235562
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