René Magritte

Conceived and cast by the Fonderia Artistica Gi-Bi-Esse, Verona in 1967. This work is number 1 from an edition of 5 plus 1 AP.

The present bronze masterfully juxtaposes the familiar with the fantastical, presenting the image of an axe entwined and overtaken by the roots of the very tree it felled. This playful composition invites reflection on the interplay between nature and human intervention, leaving questions unresolved and imbuing the work with an enigmatic power characteristic of Magritte’s oeuvre. Conceived in January 1967—just seven months before his death—the sculpture was one of eight works selected for realization in bronze. The title of the present work, Les Travaux d’Alexandre, alludes to the legend of Alexander the Great and the Gordian knot. Magritte’s vision was brought to life through wax models created by the Fonderia Artistica Gi-Bi-Esse in Verona. The chosen medium of bronze heightens the contrast between the organic textures of the tree roots and the industrial solidity of the axe, while the life-sized scale encourages viewers to engage with the work from all angles, contemplating its physical and symbolic permanence. As Jacques Meuris observed, Magritte’s treatment of nature transcends naturalism or ecological sentiment, instead imbuing trees and foliage with individuality and a myriad of symbolic resonances. [1]

[1] J. Meuris, René Magritte, London, 1988, p. 154