How did Constantin Brancusi learn wood carving while working as a shepherd?

Constantin Brancusi learned to carve wood while working as a shepherd in the Carpathian Mountains as a child. During this time, he observed and practiced a form of popular art that was traditional in rural Romania, which involved decorating everyday items such as spoons, bedposts, cheese presses, and home facades with intricate carvings.1

This early exposure to folk carving techniques profoundly influenced his later artistic style, and he maintained a lifelong passion for working in wood, often creating prototypes for his sculptures in this medium.12