Love letter by famed Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuși up for auction

A love letter sent by Constantin Brâncuși to one of the women he filmed in his studio is up for auction at Artmark’s “From Eminescu to Enescu” Rare Book Auction, scheduled to take place exclusively online on October 8.

“The women who crossed the threshold of his studio were part of Constantin Brâncuși's inspiration for his entire body of work. All these friendships he had were therefore very important; they formed his circle. It is known that Brâncuși welcomed both members of the avant-garde and independent women into his studio,” said art historian and researcher Doina Lemny, who specializes in Brâncuși's work.

According to her, a sentimental bond developed between Florence Meyer and Constantin Brâncuși.

“Florence was one of the few women Brâncuși filmed in his studio... She married, to please her family, a Hollywood actor of Austrian origin. But she divorced the man after they had two children. She was unhappy... And Brâncuși helped her during those moments of depression and welcomed her warmly into his studio. And they remained friends until the end of their lives,” she added.

The starting price for the Brâncuși letter, which also includes the original envelope, is EUR 900.

Another section of the auction focuses on the work of national poet Mihai Eminescu, both in the pages in which it reached readers of the time and in several editions of the first volume, “Poesii.”

The “Poesii” volume edited by Titu Maiorescu, in its first edition, published in 1884 in Bucharest, is a coveted gem for any bibliophile collector, according to the Artmark press release. It has a starting price of EUR 1,500 and contains 61 poems, Maiorescu's preface, and a portrait of the poet in the form of a heliogravure.

Also noteworthy are several copies of the “Convorbiri literare” magazine (from the 1873-1887 period), which include, among others, the poems “Angel and Demon,” “Letter I,” “Evening on the Hill” and “The Evening Star” as they first appeared in print, with starting prices ranging from EUR 100 to EUR 500.

Another edition of “Convorbiri literare” (1889-1890) included in the same auction brings together posthumous poems by Eminescu and a historical article signed by Titu Maiorescu, “Eminescu and His Poems” (starting at EUR 150).

Finally, the auction selection includes correspondence from George Enescu, as well as an archive belonging to painter Nicolae Vermont.

All of the items up for auction can be viewed at the Artmark Galleries — Cesianu-Racoviță Palace until the date of the auction.