How would you feel if customs officers labeled the sculptures you made as utensils? Or how would you respond in court if you had to demonstrate that these sculptures were authentic pieces of art? In the famous trial known as Brancusi v. United States, which took place in 1928, Constantin Brancusi had to explain art and justify himself as an artist. It is one of the most significant legal battles in art history. This graphic novel perfectly tells the story thanks to its fascinating illustrations and exquisite coloring. But the book's ending did not leave enough of an impression. Despite the weak ending if you are an art lover who is interested in the relationship between law and creativity, artistic freedom, the boundaries of creativity, and the importance of defending artistic expression you'll enjoy this graphic novel.

This graphic novel is about a trial to determine if a particular sculpture is considered art or not. I was not familiar with this court case at all and it was extremely interesting to read about. The reason I picked this up is because I had a feeling I would love the art style (checks out). Would recommend this.

“Brancusi V. United States“ with story and art by Arnaud Nebbache is a graphic novel about a famous trial in 1927 about what constitutes art.

Constantin Brancusi builds abstract sculptures. When he sells one to a collector in the US, the government wants to tax it because it doesn’t look like art. What follows is a trial to determine what art is. Brancusi follows the trial remotely in Paris and his fellow famous artist friends, who also have an interest in the outcome, keep him updated.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel based on a true story. To modern readers, they may not realize how this trial helped modern art.
The illustration style is a bit abstract for me but I think it fits the story.

This is an odd genre of a book. The graphic novel focuses on the court case that took place in the US in 1927-1928 about a sculpture made by a Romanian Sculptor - Constantin Brâncuși.
In this novel, we first follow his earlier attempts at learning the craft and then perfecting it. I cannot label the book as historical fiction solely because it is based on actual fact. Whether the character actually spoke the words that we see on the page is definitely up for debate. The first several pages are dedicated to his life in France and the actual making of the 'Bird in Space' sculpture. Once it is displayed in the US, there is a Tax levied on it since they do not label this abstract work as a work of art.
I personally am not a great fan of abstract work and only see half the things I am meant to see within such artwork, so I can understand where the case might have stemmed from.
What follows in the case is quite fascinating. Although it is tough to follow dialogues within such small graphic panels, the presentation worked. The debate and the arguments on both sides were educative about the thinking of the time. The lawyers did a good job pushing their case.
Overall, even though I do not have any personal attachments to this history, it was an interesting tale to learn from.
I would recommend this to history buffs on the lookout for a different medium to learn from (or even people mildly interested in the topic but more interested in graphic novels).
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

This was a really great graphic novel. The illustrations are beautiful and really help bring so many key moments of this story to vivid life. The tale it tells here is an odd one, but it was an important one all the same. Once this graphic novel comes to a close, the art world will never be the same.

Very interesting graphic novel on a famous trial in the United States, in 1927, on what can be considered art. The panels are lovely, and the artist uses his own style, which enhances the narrative. For a major show in New York, Brancusi transported his artworks over, and they were impounded by Customs, who declared them implements, and not artwork, and should be taxed at a higher rate. THIs went to court, with Duchamp, who had organised the show, at court everyday to observe the arguments. The novel fictionalizes the trial, and explores the changes in art happening at them time-with Brancusi aiming for art that melds form and function, and reflects the anxieties of an industrial age. Ideas of art are still evolving, and this captures a time when it actually had to be defended in court. Compelling read.

This was a book that I just came across on NetGalley and I had only vaguely heard his name somewhere. But wow, did this book grip me.

The story revolves around the case against Brancusi and his art - to determine if his sculpture is “art”. What I loved was the parallel between the court proceedings in United States (so well portrayed) and Brancusi faraway waiting for a decision and pondering what all of this really means. And the beginning of the book - Brancusi being taught by Rodin - set a good context to what is to follow in the book.

About the art in the book: Stunning, the shadow work in the book is so stunning. You can keep looking at a panel for minutes on end.

This book made me look at Brancusi’s works and I would definitely read more about these court proceedings in a graphic novel format too. Highly recommend it to everyone. Thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for the free copy.

This is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about a 1926 court case in which the judge had to decide if Brancusi's bird sculptor was "art". The discussion of "what is art" reminded me of that old legal adage on pornography "I know it when I see it."

This book is a work of art. It was lovely to spend an afternoon learning about a historical event that I'd never heard of before. It took me a while to get into it, as I was a little distracted by the dialogue. I found the text a little prosaic and the font itself looked hastily typed in in contrast to the thoughtfulness of the art.

I'm already thinking of family members I would recommend this to and how it could translate to a conversation in class about how we decide if something is "literature/literary."

Wow! Brancusi is an artist from my country and somehow I did not know all of this about his art. Really educational. The art style in this is really unique. Overall it is worth the read, even more if you are Romanian.

Slightly pretentious, this will still find a place in the market for art lovers. It concerns Constantin Brancusi, and a sculpture of his, that the Americans impounded at the dockside and put a huge tax bill on. Cue a court case, mostly held while he was back in Paris, to find out whether or not he was the creator of it, whether it was art, and a one-off as needed, and so on. Marcel Duchamp writes illustrated briefings to be sent to France, from the public gallery, allowing the rest of the book to be semi-wordless pages where we just meander, and possibly think about the air and the space that sculpture is all about, allegedly, as Brancusi just gets on with his business. You could say the Americans don't exactly come off in the best light, but the book does show a snapshot in art history when it was first addressing industrial processes and the modern manufacturing age. If those subjects are at all of interest to you, then jump on this – I don't see it carrying to that broad a market outside the art world, however. Three and a half stars from me.

4.3/5

What a nice way to learn a piece of history.
I honestly never came across the history of this trial but I found it so interesting to learn of it in this way.
Every time Europe Comics comes out with something very original and different for us, bravo to the team!

This time we face something that happened in real life and it actually came out pretty good.
The art of this graphic novel was pretty abstract, just like the matter of the whole trial, and I found it very spot on, it was easy and minimal.

The whole story was developed in a short but complete way, letting us understand very clearly what happened. I liked as well the different font used when it came to the specific part of the trial. It looked like we were following it from a different angle than the one used to follow the main protagonist of this story.

It was a very interesting and informative read!

At first I was unsure where to place Brancusi v. United States by Arnaud Nebbache. We don't often get biographical graphic novels that are as stylistic as this. Honestly, I was a little jarred by the extreme contrast in the color blocking and the lack of more graphical lines most readers have come accustomed to as of the rise of the comics, manga, and other more print focused styles. The further I read the more I saw the purpose in Nebbache's stylistic choices. The art styles invokes the industrialist illustrations of the era, and help to highlight Brancusi's specific style of sculpture. Which is why it is so jarring to see the older style sculptures drawn in this style. It only helps to highlight the artistic beauty of the sculpture in question "Bird in Flight". Having grown up in an era where Brancusi is seen as a father of Modernism, it is kind of hard to wrap one's head around the idea that at one point his sculpture's were not widely regarded as art.

There are two aspects to the book. One aspect is an exploration of the place art was in at the turn of the modern era. I think this aspect comes off as more abstract, and it isn't my personal favorite form of graphical novels. I prefer my graphic novels to focus on character, art and dynamism rather than the stories themselves being abstract. The other aspect to this book is the trial. I really enjoyed the way the trial was shown. I think it was a wonderful idea to frame the trail in letters from Brancusi's friend while he was working. I think it helped keep it to the noteworthy moments with giving the need to get into needless scenes that could plague other trial renditions. One way the trial aspect flourishes and the exploration of art falters is that it fully fleshes out the goals of the characters. One side is trying to put a wedge between art and Brancusi's work while the other is highlighting the artistic aspects of his work. This helps the book because it drives the purpose of Brancusi's work home; whereas, the general exploration of where Brancusi fits into the history of art feels a little stunted due to the fact that I don't actually think it arrives at a conclusion. It seems to point to Brancusi's work as being abstract which by modern view it really isn't. Brancusi's work is Modern. It does imitate life just not in the way that the world was accustomed to at the time.

Brancusi v. United States is a beautifully artistic biography about a less talked about point in art history. It may not be revolutionary but you'll come away with the feeling that Brancusi definitely was.

I was provided with a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In Brancusi v. United States by Arnaud Nebbache, I delved into the world of art, an area where I admit I need more substantial knowledge. Nevertheless, my interest in legal history drew me to this unique graphic novel, which presents a trial in a visually captivating manner.

The narrative is compelling and skillfully unfolds, oscillating between the intense courtroom drama set in New York City and Constantin Brancusi's experiences in Paris, where he grapples with the ongoing trial. The story's pacing is engaging and offers a multifaceted view of the unfolding events.

Despite my appreciation for the storytelling, the artistic style employed throughout the book was not to my taste. While the abstract illustrations aim to echo Brancusi's artistic approach, they are less effective in portraying the real-life historical events at the heart of the story. Nonetheless, this graphic novel could prove invaluable for those studying modern art, and aficionados of the genre are sure to find it immensely enjoyable. My gratitude goes to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing the e-ARC.

This was a fascinating read on a history changing court case! I didn't know about the case and as a lover of art history I can't imagine how it must have impacted the industry at the time. Although the illustrations take a while to get used to, they really match the story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was certainly an interesting read. I picked this graphic novel, mostly because I had never heard of the Brancusi v. United States case. I have little to no knowledge of modern art and its movements, so it's not surprising. It was an interesting look into art history. It taught me some of the arguments of what some would count as art and what others would not. What are the elements needed for something to be considered "art"? I think this would be an excellent first step into introducing someone to the Modern Art movement of the 1920s. However, this lost stars because of the art. (The irony, I know) The art style just wasn't that good. It was interesting in that it was unique. But the art style made it incredibly hard to tell what was going on. Establishing shots where the "camera" is pulled out to a wide shot made it almost impossible to perceive what was happening within the scene. Shots of buildings were slightly easier to understand, but crowd shots were a nightmare. If the panel wasn't a medium shot, focused on only a few people, the art felt muddy. There were also several scenes that had no text and just showed a character doing something. I was left confused because I had no idea what those scenes were attempting to convey because the art style made it so hard to comprehend. The scenes that were set during the court proceeding were the ones I liked the least. Those pages basically felt like a page with few half body pieces or simple faces surrounded by buckets of text. I understand that the text of the court scenes was technically the most important part of the scene, but they were a slog to read. Also, the choice of odd cursive font for those court scenes made it hard to read. This novel will definitely make me look more into the history of the Brancusi v. United States case because it is a genuinely interesting case. But the graphic novel itself isn't something I enjoyed reading. Having to struggle through both art style and font to try and comprehend what the story is trying to tell me just isn't an enjoyable experience.

First off, my thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for the e-ARC of this illustrated novel. The good news is, Europe Comics publishes titles that would otherwise never be published (sadly, this is Arnaud Nebbache's first title translated into English, he has more than a handful of other titles published in France). The bad news is they only provide access as ebooks - not the best way to read illustrated novels (which do tend to be published in oversized formats when printed).
I had never heard of this 1926 trial before. Abstract sculptor Brancusi's work was deemed utilitarian "Kitchen Utensils or Hospital Supplies" by US Customs, and was to be taxed at 40% to enter and be sold in the United States! Works of art came into the country tariff free. The US attorney tried to show one of his sold pieces was not art. Because it did not look like a bird (part of its title - "Bird In Space"), that it was not unique (he had made earlier versions, using different materials, although not for sale) and that it was mechanically produced (he did not pour the metal form, but when it was burnished and filed it was by him, by hand, and not by a machine).
A whole bunch of early 20th C Modernists appear here (especially Duchamp), and there is much discussion on what makes an object a piece of Art.
The illustrations of art and cities and individuals are well done, as is the dialog. The colors are basic, but appropriate to the story - bright and primary.
Loved the story, the way it was told and illustrated, and learned a part of cultural history I had not known about previously.

Brancusi versus United States is a pleasing graphic novel that both describes the titular trial and explores the nature of art. Brancusi's bird sculpture is charge a tariff as if it were a manufactured object and not an art piece. A lawsuit follows. Brancusi, meanwhile, returns to France and questions his own art and art's place in the world.

I loved the art and the pacing of the book. While the author absolutely has a point of view, he does a good job of showing the other side of things without too much prejudice. This is a case of beautiful storytelling examining a singular issue.

This is art in a graphic novel format, it shows the angst and anxiety from those who are the pioneers in art movements, besides it the novel also defends the study of subjective art must start in an young age and have to be to everyone.

With an beautifully designed graphic style of novel, Arnaund Nebbache narrate a slice of life of Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957) in which one of his abstract sculptures from the “Bird in Space” project get’s trapped in the United States Customs and we see reports from Brancusi friends, such as Marcel Duchamp, who attempts, as a viewer, to the court which will decide if it is or isn’t art.

While in Paris, Brancusi deals with the situation working in other sculputures, at the same time we see a very significant moment in art history being made, because this questioning with decide the start of the vanguards of the modern art moviment.

To me, an undergrad in Design, his graphic novel is perfect to study the relations between art and design in the 20th Century in classes with this propose. Can’t wait to it to be released soon to recommend my teachers.