The French travel suitcase that Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi used during his trips to the USA was sold for EUR 7,000 in an Artmark auction “Brancusi- the Man and Things” held at Cesianu-Racovita Palace in Bucharest.
12 personal object belonging to the late famous sculptor have been put up for sale, with one of the most auctioned ones being the knitting needle set made by Brancusi with Ballor Torino vermouth stoppers for female painter Natalia Dumitrescu. The item started from EUR 1,270 and was eventually sold for EUR 6,500.
Brancusi’s evening suit, worn when he used to live in Paris, was bought for EUR 4,950, likewise the day suit. His Burberrys overcoat was sold for EUR 4,250.
The thurible made by Brancusi used in his workshop in Impasse Ronsin was sold for EUR 6,000, while his handwritten note “The brain is the Prodigal Son of the belly” was bought with EUR 3,000. The photo depicting the artist working for the Kiss Gate on July 2, 1938 was also bought for EUR 3,000.
The sculptor’s working knitted jacket and another knitting needle set for the same painter Natalia Dumitrescu were sold for EUR 1,800.
The only unsold lot of the auction was the sculptor’s travel suitcase, with slipcover and handwritten tag pointing to Brancusi’s addresses in Bucharest and Paris, accompanied by the letter of the sculptor’s niece, Ioana Brancusi. The items were put up for sale at the price of EUR 5,000.
The items sold at the Artmark auction gathered EUR 50,000.
Collector Emilian Radu gathered the items in the past 20 years and put them up for sale.
Six years ago, an auction house from France put up for sale Brancusi’s entire workshop from the collection owned by Alexandru Istrati – Natalia Dumitrescu couple, with all items totaling around EUR 2 M. However, the Romanian state didn’t take part in that auction. Emilian Radu was among the collectors who took part in the auction and bought some items.
Artmark will donate half of the funds raised from the recent auction to the “Brancusi is mine” campaign to purchase “Wisdom of the Earth” sculpture. At the same time, Artmark will donate the commission received from collector Emilian Radu.