Online auction · 7–17 February 2026
A sculpture that attempts to capture the immeasurable
A rare edition of Fabre's most iconic sculpture will soon be auctioned.
Online auction · 7–17 February 2026
A sculpture that attempts to capture the immeasurable
A rare edition of Fabre's most iconic sculpture will soon be auctioned.
An ode to the dreamer, the artist, the human being
Reaching out to the clouds with outstretched arms from the top of a stepladder, in an attempt to measure something as fleeting as the clouds, is a profoundly utopian gesture. It serves as a metaphor for everyone who, like Fabre, other artists, philosophers and scientists, strives for higher goals that are often considered beyond reach.
The Man Who Measures the Clouds is a tribute to Fabre’s late brother Emile. For parts of the sculpture, including the head and hands, Fabre used casts of his own body. At the same time, he incorporated the facial likeness of Emile, reconstructed from a childhood photograph that was digitally aged. This makes the work both deeply personal and universal.
The work invites reflection on our human tendency to measure, understand and control, and about our eternal confrontation with the intangible.
This specific piece, titled The Man Who Measures the Clouds (American version, 18 years older), dates from 2016 and was cast in silicon bronze. It is Artist Proof I/IV and measures 283 x 150 x 80 cm. The work is signed and comes with an official certificate by Jan Fabre (Antwerp, 2019).
Other versions are held in museum collections in, among others, Ghent, Kanazawa and San Francisco.
An ode to the dreamer, the artist, the human being
Reaching out to the clouds with outstretched arms from the top of a stepladder, in an attempt to measure something as fleeting as the clouds, is a profoundly utopian gesture. It serves as a metaphor for everyone who, like Fabre, other artists, philosophers and scientists, strives for higher goals that are often considered beyond reach.
The Man Who Measures the Clouds is a tribute to Fabre’s late brother Emile. For parts of the sculpture, including the head and hands, Fabre used casts of his own body. At the same time, he incorporated the facial likeness of Emile, reconstructed from a childhood photograph that was digitally aged. This makes the work both deeply personal and universal.
The work invites reflection on our human tendency to measure, understand and control, and about our eternal confrontation with the intangible.
This specific piece, titled The Man Who Measures the Clouds (American version, 18 years older), dates from 2016 and was cast in silicon bronze. It is Artist Proof I/IV and measures 283 x 150 x 80 cm. The work is signed and comes with an official certificate by Jan Fabre (Antwerp, 2019).
Other versions are held in museum collections in, among others, Ghent, Kanazawa and San Francisco.
A work of art with museological value
This sculpture is one of Fabre's best-known and most reproduced works. Its themes — measuring, dreaming, longing, confronting the intangible — resonate with universal ideas about artistry, science and philosophy. This work stands at the intersection of personal grief, artistic vision and monumental imagination.
Anyone who acquires this work acquires a piece of contemporary art history.
A work of art with museological value
This sculpture is one of Fabre's best-known and most reproduced works. Its themes — measuring, dreaming, longing, confronting the intangible — resonate with universal ideas about artistry, science and philosophy. This work stands at the intersection of personal grief, artistic vision and monumental imagination.
Anyone who acquires this work acquires a piece of contemporary art history.
Specifications of the work
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Title: The Man Who Measures the Clouds (American version, 18 years older)
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Year: 2016
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Material: silicon bronze
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Dimensions: 283 x 150 x 80 cm
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Edition: Artist Proof I/IV
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Certificate: Official certificate (Jan Fabre, 2019)
About Jan Fabre
Jan Fabre (born 1958, Antwerp) is one of the most influential Belgian artists of recent decades. His work moves effortlessly between disciplines: from theatre and performance to drawing, sculpture and literature.
What sets Fabre apart is his insatiable urge to grasp the intangible. He calls himself a consilience artist: someone who interweaves art, science, religion, biology and philosophy. Symbols recur constantly in his oeuvre: insects, skulls, clouds, measuring instruments, blue ink. Each work is an attempt to make humanity tangible in all its beauty, struggle and contradiction.
His sculptures can be found in leading museums worldwide, such as the Louvre (Paris), the SMAK (Ghent), the Hermitage (St. Petersburg), the 21st Century Museum (Kanazawa) and the Madre Museum (Naples). His installation Heaven of Delight, a ceiling with more than one and a half million jewel beetle wings, adorns the Hall of Mirrors at the Royal Palace in Brussels.
Fabre's work is often physically intense, emotionally charged and rich in symbolism. He builds bridges between the sacred and the personal, between dreams and the measurable.
About Jan Fabre
Jan Fabre (born 1958, Antwerp) is one of the most influential Belgian artists of recent decades. His work moves effortlessly between disciplines: from theatre and performance to drawing, sculpture and literature.
What sets Fabre apart is his insatiable urge to grasp the intangible. He calls himself a consilience artist: someone who interweaves art, science, religion, biology and philosophy. Symbols recur constantly in his oeuvre: insects, skulls, clouds, measuring instruments, blue ink. Each work is an attempt to make humanity tangible in all its beauty, struggle and contradiction.
His sculptures can be found in leading museums worldwide, such as the Louvre (Paris), the SMAK (Ghent), the Hermitage (St. Petersburg), the 21st Century Museum (Kanazawa) and the Madre Museum (Naples). His installation Heaven of Delight, a ceiling with more than one and a half million jewel beetle wings, adorns the Hall of Mirrors at the Royal Palace in Brussels.
Fabre's work is often physically intense, emotionally charged and rich in symbolism. He builds bridges between the sacred and the personal, between dreams and the measurable.
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