129. The Kiss. Constantin Brancusi. Original 1907-1908 CE Stone.

• Form
  • Symbolic, almost Cubist rendering of the male and female bodies
  • Simplified carving
  • Intertwined and enveloped figures
  • Interlocked forms; fused bodies
  • Two eyes become one, almost Cyclops-like
  • Rough surface contributes to a feeling of naturalism; this is an artistic break from the high polish effect of past sculpture
• Patronage
  • Requested by John Quinn, Brancusi’s patron in New York, who admired the small plaster version of The Kiss in the collection of the artist Walter Pach
• Context
  • Brancusi worked in Rodin’s studio
  • This is the fourth stone version of this subject:
    • First version was one of Brancusi’s earliest efforts at stone carving
    • Second version was exhibited at the Armory Show
    • Third version used as a tombstone in Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris over the body of a suicide victim: a young Russian anarchist
      • The artist was asked by a friend of the deceased, who had hilted her, for a marker for her grace
      • The artist said take what you want; he took this work
  • There may be many more undocumented versions