Princesse X. (portrait of Princess Bibescu)

Mediums: bronze.
Location: The National Museum of Modern Art, Center of G. Pompidou, Paris (France).

Even during the war, Constantin Brancusi created one of his most famous chamber sculptures in plaster, carved it from wood, and then cast in bronze. At first, the surrealist portrait had a specific name – “Portrait of Princess Bibescu”, but due to a scandal, ethical considerations and the proximity of the princess to government circles, her name disappeared from the title of the work. Despite the undoubted resemblance to the female bust, although rather abstract, critics and the public considered the figure as an image of the phallus. The author believed that such a form characterizes the model as accurately as possible. When viewed from afar, the bust of a young woman as a whole perfectly resembled a male phallus. The sculpture was arrested several times by the French Ministry of Culture, and its author was prosecuted “for immorality”.