Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CONSTANTIN BRÂNCUŞI 'IN SITU' IN TÂRGU JIU
The blue-collar coal-mining town of Târgu Jiu is an unlikely setting for the archly minimalist, modern sculpture of
internationally acclaimed Romanian master Constantin Brâncuşi (1876-1957). Commissioned as a war memorial in
1935, the four pieces the sculptor created in 1938 along the main street, Calea Eroilor (Avenue of Heroes), constitu-
te arguably the high point of Brâncuşi's career, and certainly merit a detour for fans of modern art.
A logical place to begin a Brâncuşi tour is at the entrance to the town's Central Park, at the western end of Calea
Eroilor. The first piece, the small but moving
Gate of the Kiss
(Poarta Sărutului), is in the shape of an arch meant to
commemorate Romania's unification after WWI.
Continue along the park's central mall to the
Alley of Chairs
(Aleea Scaunelor). The dwarf-sized stone stools are
in groups of three on either side of the avenue. The alley leads to a third sculpture, the riverside
Table of Silence
(Masa Tăcerii). Each of the 12 stools around the circular stone table represents a month of the year.
As public sculpture, these three relatively small works seem almost insignificant, but Brâncuşi is celebrated as a
master of proportion, simplicity and symbolism.
The
Endless Column
, one of his best-known and most-celebrated works, sits at the eastern end of Calea Eroilor
(20 minutes on foot from the other pieces). The 29.35m-tall structure, threaded with 15 steel beads, is meant to sym-
bolise the synthesis of heaven and physical reality.
The communist leadership, unsurprisingly, didn't get and didn't like what it considered to be Brâncuşi's decadent
style, and there was even talk in the 1950s of demolishing the pieces. In the end, the sculptures survived. It was a
lucky break. Today, works by Brâncuşi fetch as much as €30 million each at auction, and the statues here are given a
24-hour armed guard.
Târgu Jiu itself is a relatively depressed industrial city. There are ample places to eat and stay the night, but it's
not a place you'll want to linger. There's a regular train service to and from Bucharest (36 lei, five hours, three
daily) via Craiova.
Buses and maxitaxis connect the city to Timişoara (40 lei, three daily) and Drobeta-Turnu Severin (two daily),
among other places.
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
POP 86,475
Drobeta-Turnu Severin - usually shortened to 'Severin' in conversation - is on the bank
of the Danube (Dunărea) River bordering Serbia. Though the modern city was laid out in
the 19th century, the town has a rich history stretching back nearly 2000 years, when it
was a Roman colony and had a population of some 40,000. It's best known as the base of
