Conceived in 1991 and casted in 2001, Le Mystérieux demonstrates Alfred Basbous’s graceful mastery of his medium. A major pioneer of Modernist sculpture in the Middle East, Basbous drew on the influence of Jean Arp, Constantin Brâncuși and Henry Moore to create his sculptures, which above all demonstrate Basbous’ exploration of the relationship between form and material. The work above all illustrates the artist’s aesthetic philosophy grounded in the simplicity of form.  

Mastering the potential of noble materials such as bronze, marble, stone, and wood, Alfred Basbous (Lebanese, b. 1924 - d. 2006) explores the beauty of the human form in its purest essence. Through a delicate visual assembly of line, shape, and movement, his sculptures are a masterful inquiry into the abstract properties of the human figure. 

With innate talent and rigorous artistic training, he was the recipient of a prestigious scholarship from the French government in 1960 becoming a student of renowned sculptor René Collamarini at L’École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He is remembered as a seminal figure for Lebanese sculpture, turning his village in Northern Lebanon into a cultural landmark. Beyond his international acclaim, he and his brothers hosted prominent art festivals and events in Lebanon including the open sky museum and the renowned International Sculpture Symposium held from 1994 to 2004. 

Beyond his numerous awards, the works of Alfred Basbous are part of public collections throughout the world, including the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the Musée Rodin in Paris, the Hakone Open-Air Museum in Japan and the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum (MACAM) in Lebanon, among others. His monumental works are present in the public areas of Beirut and many Lebanese cities.