It doesn't look like a bird. There is no head, no feathers, no wings, no tail and no feet. Nevertheless, Constantin Brancusi's streamlined sculpture, "Bird in Space" (1919) does give a feeling of flight.
Brancusi, a Romanian, was one of the first sculptors to make really non-realistic works. During his early life in Paris he was no doubt influenced by Rodin, who himself experimented with semi-realistic sculpture, but he went a step further than Rodin. He became less and less concerned with representing physical world in his art.
His works show a passion for simplicity. He attempted to reduce his subjects to their most elementary forms and then used a variety of finishes for different effects. Many of his works, like the well-known "Bird in Space," are highly polished, while others are very roughly hewn.
Just as his work became increasingly disconnected from the world around him, so did Brancusi himself. In 1925 he began to live like a hermit, refusing to show his works at Paris displays and ignoring the honors that were awarded him.
