Pace Gallery has taken global representation of Constantin Brâncuși's estate, announced hours before a $100 million Brâncuși sculpture, Danaïde (1913), goes to auction at Christie's. The sculpture comes from the collection of S. I. Newhouse and is among the most expensive works in New York's marquee sales. The announcement coincides with a major retrospective of the artist, organized by the Centre Pompidou, currently at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin and heading to the Museum of Modern Art in New York later this year.
This move is significant because Brâncuși's estate has been controversial due to posthumous casting of his sculptures, which some collectors and critics argue are replicas rather than authentic works. Pace's representation, led by CEO Marc Glimcher, aims to reintroduce Brâncuși's legacy globally, but questions about the estate's inventory—reportedly lacking original sculptures for sale—and the high price of Danaïde highlight ongoing debates about artistic intent, authorship, and market value in the modernist canon.