The Kiss

sculpture by Constantin Brancusi

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June 30, 2026

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The Kiss is a sculpture by Constantin Brancusi, created in 1908. It is characterized by its simplified, abstract form, depicting two entwined figures in a symbolic embrace. Brancusi's work from this period moved away from the detailed naturalism of artists like Auguste Rodin, focusing instead on pure form and essential expression.12

The sculpture features two block-like figures joined together, with their forms reduced to symmetrical lines. This piece is considered one of Brancusi's first truly original works and a significant step in his evolution toward abstraction, influencing many other artists. Brancusi was a pioneer of modern abstract sculpture, known for his elegant use of pure form in materials like bronze and marble.12

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Western sculpture
Avant-garde sculpture (1909–20)
His Kiss (1908), with its two blocklike figures joined in symbolic embrace, has a concentration of expression in simple form. In this and subsequent works Brancusi favoured hard materials and surfaces as well as self-enclosed volumes that often impart an introverted character to his subjects. His…
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His Kiss (1908), with its two blocklike figures joined in symbolic embrace, has a concentration of expression in simple form. In this and subsequent works Brancusi favoured hard materials and surfaces as well as self-enclosed volumes that often impart an introverted character to his subjects. His…
Read More

Constantin Brancusi
Early life and works
…his first truly original work, The Kiss, in which the vertical figures of two entwined adolescents form a closed volume with symmetrical lines. In one of his first experiments with direct carving, he affirmed the pure, organic use of form that was to become his trademark and that would influence…
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…his first truly original work, The Kiss, in which the vertical figures of two entwined adolescents form a closed volume with symmetrical lines. In one of his first experiments with direct carving, he affirmed the pure, organic use of form that was to become his trademark and that would influence…
Read More