The original 18 x 13 cm glass plate negative is in the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris
PH 534 a Cahiers d’Art, Private collection, 23.4 x 33.5 cm
PH 534 b Private collection, 39.7 x 29.6 cm
PH 534 c This print

The Endless Column in Steichen’s Garden, Voulangis, France. Brâncuși’s groundbreaking sculpture finds its first home in the garden of his friend and fellow artist, photographer Edward Steichen. This photograph, capturing the Endless Column in its initial setting, highlights the close collaboration between two modernist pioneers and underscores the sculpture’s cultural significance as a radical departure from traditional forms. Placing the column in Steichen’s private garden imbues it with an intimacy that contrasts sharply with the monumentality of its design, merging high art with personal space in a way that defies art world conventions. In this setting, the Endless Column becomes both a personal gesture and a universal symbol, bridging the gap between avant-garde ideals and everyday life. Brâncuși’s choice to photograph the column here marks a critical moment in modernism, suggesting that art need not be confined to institutions to hold cultural relevance—it can find profound meaning in the shared, private spaces of artists themselves.

In Endless Column in Voulangis (PH 551), Brâncuși situates his Endless Column within the intimate, natural setting of Edward Steichen’s garden, marking an early and pivotal moment in the evolution of modernist sculpture. This photograph reveals the column not as a finished artifact but as a living dialogue between form and environment, where geometry confronts and coexists with the organic. Brâncuși’s placement of the column in this context underlines his commitment to stripping art of historical excess, reducing it to its most essential forms—an elemental language that became a cornerstone of modernism.

The Endless Column, with its repetitive, modular structure, embodies the principles that Brâncuși helped to cement in modernism: abstraction, universality, and an emphasis on materiality over narrative. By rejecting the ornamental traditions of the past, Brâncuși defines a vision of sculpture as architecture in its purest sense—a balance of form and function that transcends specific time and place. This image, with its interplay of light, shadow, and scale, captures how Brâncuși’s vision redefined art’s relationship to space, presenting modernism not merely as an aesthetic but as an architectural and cultural paradigm. His work, as encapsulated in this photograph, anchors modernism in a pursuit of the eternal, the essential, and the sublime.

In Micu Marcu; Brâncuși Working on the Gate of The Kiss, Târgu Jiu, Brâncuși constructs an image of himself as an artisan of modernism, deeply embedded in the material reality of his work. Through this self-portrait, he invites us to consider the rigor and purity with which he approaches sculptural form, pushing against the ornamental tendencies of past eras. The photograph serves not merely as documentation but as an assertion of Brâncuși’s ideological stance—one that privileges the elemental and tactile over the decorative or representational.

Viewed through a formalist lens, this image highlights the artist’s commitment to reducing sculpture to its essential structure. Here, Brâncuși’s interaction with The Gate of The Kiss emphasizes the integrity of form and process, grounding the piece in both the physical and symbolic. The presence of the artist’s figure within the frame points to an art that is not merely conceptual but deeply engaged with craft, a stance that underlines Brâncuși’s rejection of the detached, aestheticized approach often upheld by the academic art world. This photograph operates as a manifesto of sorts, promoting Brâncuși’s modernist ethos to patrons as an unyielding devotion to form, materiality, and the sculptural discipline that transforms art into a direct, almost tactile experience.

In Brâncuși, accroupi, taillant à la hache une Colonne sans fin, the artist presents himself in an intimate, hands-on moment of creation, crouched low as he carves the Endless Column with a hatchet. This self-portrait underscores Brâncuși’s deep, almost visceral engagement with his materials, emphasizing the physical labor involved in sculpting monumental works. The image not only captures the artist’s dedication but also highlights his belief in the importance of craftsmanship—an essential aspect of modernism that values the raw, elemental process of creation. Brâncuși’s focused, solitary stance contrasts with the towering, abstract form he is shaping, offering a stark visual representation of the artist’s commitment to forging pure, unmediated art from the simplest of tools.

In Brâncuși’s photograph of The Endless Column in Târgu Jiu, the sculpture is presented as both a cultural monument and a beacon of modernist innovation. Rising against the sky, its geometric repetition conveys a sense of infinite ascent, embodying the universal ideals of modernism—simplicity, abstraction, and spiritual transcendence. As a war memorial, it holds profound cultural significance, commemorating Romanian soldiers of World War I. Yet, its meaning transcends the specific; it transforms commemoration into a universal gesture, a symbol of continuity and aspiration that speaks to a global audience.

Architecturally, The Endless Column signifies a groundbreaking moment in the integration of sculpture, design, and space. Its modular, stacked forms prefigure modernist approaches to structure and repetition in design, influencing everything from minimalist architecture to industrial aesthetics. The column’s self-supporting verticality challenges traditional notions of monumental design, eschewing ornamentation in favor of elemental, dynamic forms that engage directly with their environment. Through this photograph, Brâncuși positions the column as not just a singular artistic achievement but a template for the future of architecture and design, where form and function converge in a seamless expression of modernist ideals.

In Brâncuși’s photograph of The Endless Column in Târgu Jiu, the sculpture is presented as both a cultural monument and a beacon of modernist innovation. Rising against the sky, its geometric repetition conveys a sense of infinite ascent, embodying the universal ideals of modernism—simplicity, abstraction, and spiritual transcendence. As a war memorial, it holds profound cultural significance, commemorating Romanian soldiers of World War I. Yet, its meaning transcends the specific; it transforms commemoration into a universal gesture, a symbol of continuity and aspiration that speaks to a global audience.

Architecturally, The Endless Column signifies a groundbreaking moment in the integration of sculpture, design, and space. Its modular, stacked forms prefigure modernist approaches to structure and repetition in design, influencing everything from minimalist architecture to industrial aesthetics. The column’s self-supporting verticality challenges traditional notions of monumental design, eschewing ornamentation in favor of elemental, dynamic forms that engage directly with their environment. Through this photograph, Brâncuși positions the column as not just a singular artistic achievement but a template for the future of architecture and design, where form and function converge in a seamless expression of modernist ideals.

This photograph is of the Endless column that Brancusi carved and installed in the garden of Edward Steichen’s home in Voulangis just outside Paris.

It is one of Brancusi’s undisputed masterpieces and one of the most influential sculptures of the 20th century.

The sculpture was carved from a poplar tree around 1926. It was his 3rd column after a small (H.203cm) column carved in Oak in 1918, now in the Museum of Modern Art In New York and a another Oak column (H.406cm) carved C. 1925 in Paris, now in the reconstructed Brancusi studio in Paris. This 3rd column was the first to be placed outdoors.

In, “Brancusi a Study of the Sculpture” Sidney Geist writes
The twenty-three foot (556.6cm) column rises without effort and unobtrusively against the surrounding foliage. It appears as a repetition without monotony, diminishing perspectively, but ever present in the mind. Stiff where all is swaying, regular where all is varied, it is the shape of intelligence amid floral exuberance, a human gesture in a natural world.

When Steichen left the house he gave the column back to Brancusi and in the Autumn of 1927 Man Ray accompanied Brancusi to assist his friend with the dismantling of the column. Man Ray and Brancusi filmed the day and this photograph is a still taken from that film. In order to get the column back to and into his studio Brancusi cut the work in two.

This is the only photograph of the Steichen column that isolates the column against the sky and predicts the Tirgu Jiu column of 1938, now a Unesco World Heritage site.

There are 15 recorded prints made by the Artist, 9 in the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, 1 in the Kunsthaus in Zurich and 5 in private collections.

Marthe and Astor playing in font of Brancusi's endless column which was built in Steichen’s garden, where the organic forms of nature subtly contrast with the column’s geometric purity. The photograph, captured in a private setting, shifts the sculpture away from the sterile confines of the museum, positioning it within a more intimate, lived environment. This gesture reinforces Brâncuși’s modernist ethos, where art is not confined to institutional spaces but is meant to resonate within the broader human experience.

Viewed through a formalist perspective, the image emphasizes Brâncuși’s preoccupation with the essence of form, light, and space. The column’s upward thrust creates a sharp contrast with the horizontal, more organic elements of the garden, underscoring the tension between natural growth and the sculptor’s imposed abstraction. Brâncuși’s decision to present the Endless Column within this context reflects his desire to transcend the artificiality of traditional art presentation. The photograph, in turn, becomes a commentary on modernism’s break with historical precedent and the need for art to engage with and disrupt the conventions of both its form and its environment.

In Voulangis, Brâncuși’s Endless Column is placed within the tranquil, cultivated space of Edward Steichen’s garden, where the organic forms of nature subtly contrast with the column’s geometric purity. The photograph, captured in a private setting, shifts the sculpture away from the sterile confines of the museum, positioning it within a more intimate, lived environment. This gesture reinforces Brâncuși’s modernist ethos, where art is not confined to institutional spaces but is meant to resonate within the broader human experience.

Viewed through a formalist perspective, the image emphasizes Brâncuși’s preoccupation with the essence of form, light, and space. The column’s upward thrust creates a sharp contrast with the horizontal, more organic elements of the garden, underscoring the tension between natural growth and the sculptor’s imposed abstraction. Brâncuși’s decision to present the Endless Column within this context reflects his desire to transcend the artificiality of traditional art presentation. The photograph, in turn, becomes a commentary on modernism’s break with historical precedent and the need for art to engage with and disrupt the conventions of both its form and its environment.

Constantin Brâncuși's Endless Column is a pioneering work of modernist sculpture, created in 1938 as a towering, geometric column of repeated rhomboid shapes that appears to extend infinitely upwards. Located in Târgu Jiu, Romania, this piece is part of Brâncuși's Table of Silence ensemble, which commemorates soldiers fallen in World War I. The Endless Column embodies Brâncuși's exploration of abstraction, purity of form, and universal symbols, influencing generations of minimalist and abstract artists. Its simplicity and sense of infinite verticality mark it as a profound expression of spiritual aspiration, bridging earth and sky, human and cosmic scales.

The photographs Constantin Brâncuși took of his Endless Column are essential visual records that reflect his role as both sculptor and documentarian of his work. These self-portraits reveal his deep engagement with form, light, and perspective, capturing the monument’s towering geometry in ways that amplify its sense of infinity. Brâncuși’s photographs offer unique insights into his creative process, demonstrating how he viewed his sculptures not only as static objects but as evolving forms interacting with their surroundings. The images emphasize the monument’s impact, providing a powerful narrative that enhances the work’s architectural and symbolic depth. By documenting the Endless Column himself, Brâncuși controlled the lens through which the world would view his groundbreaking sculpture, highlighting his vision of art as both personal and universal.

In La Colonne sans fin de Voulangis, Brâncuși’s Endless Column is placed within the tranquil, cultivated space of Edward Steichen’s garden, where the organic forms of nature subtly contrast with the column’s geometric purity. The photograph, captured in a private setting, shifts the sculpture away from the sterile confines of the museum, positioning it within a more intimate, lived environment. This gesture reinforces Brâncuși’s modernist ethos, where art is not confined to institutional spaces but is meant to resonate within the broader human experience.

Viewed through a formalist perspective, the image emphasizes Brâncuși’s preoccupation with the essence of form, light, and space. The column’s upward thrust creates a sharp contrast with the horizontal, more organic elements of the garden, underscoring the tension between natural growth and the sculptor’s imposed abstraction. Brâncuși’s decision to present the Endless Column within this context reflects his desire to transcend the artificiality of traditional art presentation. The photograph, in turn, becomes a commentary on modernism’s break with historical precedent and the need for art to engage with and disrupt the conventions of both its form and its environment.

In La Colonne sans fin de Voulangis, Brâncuși presents his Endless Column in the garden of Edward Steichen, marking the sculpture’s first installation outside the studio. This photograph, capturing the column’s debut in Steichen’s private garden, is as much a statement on the intimacy and experimental spirit of early modernism as it is a record of Brâncuși’s work. By placing the column here—surrounded by foliage, bathed in natural light, and far from the formal constraints of galleries or museums—Brâncuși challenges the conventions of the art world, which often treats monumental works as remote, untouchable objects. Instead, La Colonne sans fin de Voulangis emphasizes the column’s accessibility and versatility, suggesting that modern art can resonate deeply within personal and everyday spaces. This collaboration between Brâncuși and Steichen reveals an alternative vision for modernist art, one that places cultural significance in the fluid, dynamic relationship between art, environment, and lived experience, rather than in institutional acclaim alone.

In La Colonne sans Fin à Voulangis, Brâncuși’s photograph captures his Endless Column set within a quiet, natural landscape, with trees framing the column and contrasting its rigid geometry. Here, Brâncuși’s choice of setting and composition invites a deeper critique of his own ambition for transcendent form amid the earthly environment. The column’s precise, repetitive structure, symbolizing infinity, appears almost out of place yet fascinatingly resolute among the organic, irregular shapes of the surrounding foliage. By positioning this avant-garde work within a rural backdrop, Brâncuși juxtaposes industrial modernism with natural beauty, subtly questioning the tension between artifice and nature. The photograph not only documents the sculpture but also challenges viewers to consider the place of such idealized forms within real-world contexts, perhaps hinting at the limits of abstraction to capture the complexities of life beyond the studio.

588a Centre Georges Pompidou 24 x 29.8 cm
588b Centre Georges Pompidou 29.8 x 39.8 cm
588c Centre Georges Pompidou 24 x 29.8 cm
588d This Print 24 x 29.8 cm

This master piece is framed in a beautiful wooden frame (estimated sizes please request exact details if needed)

In La Table de Silence à Târgu Jiu, Brâncuși’s photograph of his sculptural ensemble captures the essence of his pursuit for purity in form and symbolic simplicity. The table, flanked by chairs in the open air, stands as an iconic representation of Brâncuși’s unflinching commitment to abstraction. Its geometric austerity is matched by the surrounding environment, which, though natural, recedes into the background, allowing the sculpture to occupy the foreground as a singular, self-contained entity.

Through this image, Brâncuși eliminates the extraneous, reducing the work to its most essential elements—form, material, and space. The photograph thus becomes an extension of his sculptural philosophy, emphasizing the directness of his art, free from historical references or decorative excess. In the manner of the greatest modernist works, La Table de Silence becomes more than just a functional piece—it is an expression of ritual, of timelessness, and of the spiritual resonance that abstraction can evoke. The stark simplicity of the sculpture, framed by Brâncuși’s careful composition, positions this work as an essential gesture within the evolution of modern art, rejecting the ornamental in favor of a deeper, more universal language.

This photograph is of the Endless column that Brancusi carved and installed in the garden of Edward Steichen’s home in Voulangis just outside Paris.

It is one of Brancusi’s undisputed masterpieces and one of the most influential sculptures of the 20th century.

The sculpture was carved from a poplar tree around 1926. It was his 3rd column after a small (H.203cm) column carved in Oak in 1918, now in the Museum of Modern Art In New York and a another Oak column (H.406cm) carved C. 1925 in Paris, now in the reconstructed Brancusi studio in Paris. This 3rd column was the first to be placed outdoors.

In, “Brancusi a Study of the Sculpture” Sidney Geist writes
The twenty-three foot (556.6cm) column rises without effort and unobtrusively against the surrounding foliage. It appears as a repetition without monotony, diminishing perspectively, but ever present in the mind. Stiff where all is swaying, regular where all is varied, it is the shape of intelligence amid floral exuberance, a human gesture in a natural world.

When Steichen left the house he gave the column back to Brancusi and in the Autumn of 1927 Man Ray accompanied Brancusi to assist his friend with the dismantling of the column. Man Ray and Brancusi filmed the day and this photograph is a still taken from that film. In order to get the column back to and into his studio Brancusi cut the work in two.

This is the only photograph of the Steichen column that isolates the column against the sky and predicts the Tirgu Jiu column of 1938, now a Unesco World Heritage site.

There are 15 recorded prints made by the Artist, 9 in the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, 1 in the Kunsthaus in Zurich and 5 in private collections.

One of three known prints
The other two are in the collection of the Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris
PH 209 c This print