René Magritte was a Surrealist whose work features wit, irony and the juxtaposition of images to startle and amuse the viewer. Unlike other Surrealists, Magritte did not rely on subconscious expression in his work. His work relies on the constant interplay between the relationship of images and words to question perceived reality. Like other Surrealist works, the Belgian artist’s works call into question the ability of the mind to rationally discern seriousness from humor or reason from chaos. Magritte is probably most known for his series of paintings of a faceless, nameless man in a bowler hat, as well as a series of paintings of a man’s smoking pipe with the words “Ceci n’est pas une pipe [This is not a pipe.].” The titles of his paintings are usually as elusive and dumbfounding as his paintings and serve to confound the viewer.

Late in his life, Magritte commissioned eight of his paintings to be reproduced in the three dimensional bronze form. In 1967 Magritte chose the paintings that were to be transposed. The models of the sculptures were cast in wax and Magritte approved and signed the works to be completed in bronze. Unfortunately, the artist died before the sculptures were completed. The inspiration for this sculpture, The Labors of Alexander, was originally painted in 1950. The image of the felled tree had been used in several of Magritte’s paintings. This image, like most of the artist’s works, questions the common sense of the viewer. A tree has recently been cut and the ax is now secured underneath the root of the tree stump. Who could have chopped down the tree? Where are they now? Could the tree be responsible for its own demise? How did the ax get under the tree root? These questions are, of course, left unanswered.