Assistant Curator, Mia Matthias: There is a component of the studio that we can only imagine. According to the archival materials, we get this glimpse into Brancusi as the maestro of these incredible parties. His guests were musicians, poets and dancers, and he was great at making people not only feel welcome, but also creating an experience that felt very alive and very memorable.
He would often make elaborate meals for his guests. He would grill steaks, make a leg of lamb, make polenta and potatoes, and he would follow these meals with shortbread cookies and strong Turkish coffee. He played the violin, and he played the flute. He was apparently generous with drinks, so people describe how these meals were fueled by champagne, and he would share his heritage through what some described as Romanian firewater and gin.
So, in this section of the exhibition, we have his record player, a selection of records drawn from his wide-ranging music collection. We have film footage, which shows people dancing atop his pedestals.
One thing I’d love for you to look for in this display is a pair of hats, which Brancusi purchased for two visitors who are very important to MoMA’s history: Margaret Scolari Barr, an art historian, and her husband, Alfred Barr, who is the founding director of MoMA.
I think people felt quite comfortable amongst his works and with him. So it’s an important component of the studio, because it wasn’t just about his work, but bringing his work alive and sharing it with his friends.