“L’Effort” by Witterwulghe Joseph

A bronze sculpture with a green patina by the Belgian artist Joseph Witterwulghe (1883–1967). This work, entitled ‘L’Effort’, is also known as ‘Les Débardeurs de bois’. The model dates from 1920 and is held in the collections of the Musée La Piscine in Roubaix. The composition depicts several labourers joining forces to move a heavy load. The bent bodies, taut muscles and intertwining figures powerfully convey the strength of their collective effort. The oblique composition guides the eye through the group and accentuates the impression of thrust, tension and movement. The vigorous modelling, the dynamic surfaces and the expressive treatment of the anatomy lend the work a strong sculptural presence. The work rests on a naturalistic plinth integrated into the sculpture. Signed on the plinth.

Dimensions: W 63 cm x H 35 cm – Base: Width 56 cm x Depth 17 cm

Early 20th-century Belgian school.

Lit: This work forms part of the tradition of Belgian social sculpture, which treats the worker and their labour as artistic subjects. The worker is no longer a secondary figure: their gesture, physical effort and the reality of their trade become the heart of the representation.

Lit: Joseph Witterwulghe (Brussels, 1883 – Uccle, 1967) was a Belgian sculptor and medallist. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, where he was taught by Julien Dillens, amongst others, before working in the studios of Charles Samuel and Jacques de Lalaing. After leaving the Academy in 1907, he was awarded a travel grant by the City of Brussels and spent time in France and then in the Netherlands.

Spotted by Thomas Vinçotte, he contributed to the pediment of the Royal Palace and the Congo Monument at the Cinquantenaire. After 1918, he produced a growing number of works and held numerous exhibitions. The patron Yvan Lamberty notably acquired the group sculpture *L’Effort* and helped to raise the profile of his work. His figurative output includes sculptures, monuments, busts, portraits and numerous medals. Motherhood, youth and labour feature among his principal themes. He taught for twenty-eight years at the École des Arts et Métiers in Brussels.