La folie des grandeurs

La Folie des Grandeurs (1967)

Megalomania

During the last year of Magritte’s life, the renowned gallery owner Alexandre Iolas asked him whether he had ever considered making sculptures. The painter had definitely given that some thought, but the sculptures would have to be based on motifs from his paintings.

A few weeks later, Magritte showed Iolas three sketches he had detailed with accurate dimensioning for a sculpture called Megalomania. It was a 3D version of the painting La Folie des Grandeurs from 1962. The theme having first been detailed in 1948.

Seven additional sketches for bronze sculptures were created. Magritte himself assessed and corrected all the wax models at the foundry in Verona. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the bronze sculptures cast.