Alfred Basbous (Lebanon, 1924-2006)Maquette for a Monument to the Almighty plaster sculptureexecuted circa 1980's40 x 30cm (15 3/4 x 11 13/16in).注脚Provenance:Property from a private collection, BeirutAcquired directly from the Alfred Basbous Foundation"When the mystery of the oneness of the soul and the Divine is revealed to you, you will understand that you are no other than God. ... Then you will see all your actions to be His actions and all your attributes to be His attributes and your essence to be His essence"- Ibn ArabiAlfred Basbous' Maquette is a striking sculpture which manages to achieve a sense of monumentality and grandeur despite its modest stature. A stylistic re-interpretation of the Arabic word "Allah", Basbous weaves the letter form into a structure which seems almost organic, perhaps hinting at the fluidity and interconnectedness of religions at a period when sectarian strife and civil war were creating artifical division and discord in the artists native LebanonAlfred Basbous was born in Rachana, Lebanon in 1924. His first exhibition in Beirut, at the Alecco Saab gallery in 1958, marked the beginning of his long and successful career as a sculptor. Basbous's works express a lifelong exploration of the human form and its abstract properties. Focused on the aesthetic principles of shape, movement, line and material, his sculptures display a deeply ingrained sincerity and a search for the essence of beauty. Working in the tradition of sculptors such as Auguste Rodin, Jean Arp and Henry Moore, Alfred Basbous explores the potential of noble materials such as bronze, wood and marble to express the sensuality and purity of the human form. This aversion towards frivolous and meaningless embellishments echoes his own philosophy of simplicity and earnestness.