Art Market Monitor

Global Coverage ~ Unique Analysis

  • AMMpro
  • AMM Fantasy Collecting Game
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us

Closed Minds or Open for Business, The Brancusi Debate

January 17, 2014 by Marion Maneker

Brancusi, The Fish (1926, 1992)

The Journal’s Ellen Gammerman wades into the debate over Paul Kasmin Gallery’s show of posthumously cast Brancusi sculptures which the gallerist feels are worth about a third of a lifetime work:

Asher Edelman, a New York art dealer and collector, more than a decade ago sold the posthumous Brancusi he acquired in the 1980s after Brancusi expert Sidney Geist told him that he was “a fool” for having it in his collection. Mr. Edelman said the artists works were all one-of-a-kind, so any posthumous pieces arent Brancusis: “There is no such thing as a posthumous edition of a Brancusi—there are replicas, which is what these are.”

The five sculptures in the New York gallery were created legally with the estates approval, cast from plasters found in Brancusis studio and produced between 1992 and 2010 in the Susse foundry near Paris—the same foundry that has done work over the years for the estates of Joan Miró, Alberto Giacometti and Max Ernst.

“There are always going to be people who say theyre 100% against it. I can only help guide you with whats fact—I cant decide somebody elses morals for them,” said Mr. Kasmin. “What we want to come of this is to know that Brancusi, like many other great artists estates, is open for business.” […]

Posthumous Brancusis have entered collections such as the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Calif. The exhibition catalog states that such works have been purchased by respected collectors like Nelson Rockefeller, who had “Bird in Space” cast as a memorial tribute years after the 1961 death of his son Michael.

Growing Furor over Brancusi Show in New York (Wall Street Journal)

More from Art Market Monitor

  • Christie’s $70m Brancusi for MayChristie’s $70m Brancusi for May
  • Lanvin Makes the Case for a Brancusi—and Its BrandLanvin Makes the Case for a Brancusi—and Its Brand
  • Vernissage TV: Brancusi Serra at Fondation BeyelerVernissage TV: Brancusi Serra at Fondation Beyeler
  • Artelligence for December 13, 2017Artelligence for December 13, 2017
  • Michelle Obama’s Portrait Artist Sits for a ProfileMichelle Obama’s Portrait Artist Sits for a Profile
  • In Praise of Art DealersIn Praise of Art Dealers

Filed Under: Artists Tagged With: Brancusi

About Marion Maneker

LiveArt

Want to get Art Market Monitor‘s posts sent to you in our email? Sign up below by clicking on the Subscribe button.

  • About Us/ Contact
  • Podcast
  • AMMpro
  • Newsletter
  • FAQ

twitterfacebooksoundcloud
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
California Privacy Rights
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Advertise on Art Market Monitor
 

Loading Comments...