Christo

CHRISTO (Bulgaria, 1935- USA, 2020).
"Wrapped bridge. Project for the Alexandre III bridge, Des Invalides", 1973.
Charcoal and chalk on thick paper.
Attached certificate of authenticity issued by Daniel Varenne.
Signed and dated in the lower area.
Measurements: 72,5 x 56,5 cm.
This work further illustrates Christo's project for the Alexandre III bridge, showing an experimental and key phase of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's work. In 1972, both artists contemplated the possibility of intervening the Pont Alexandre III by means of their characteristic "wrapping" procedure. However, the proposal was ultimately discarded due to both formal and social considerations: the bridge's profile was perceived as excessively slender and its limited pedestrian traffic compromised the collective impact that was a central objective of their practice. This abandonment marked a turning point that would lead to the famous Pont Neuf project, completed in 1985 after a decade of complex administrative and political negotiations.
The drawing depicts the Pont Alexandre III, one of the most emblematic bridges in Paris, focusing attention on its monumental pylons, approximately 17 meters high. In the background, the recognizable silhouette of Les Invalides is insinuated, whose golden dome acts as an urban reference and visual anchor of the composition. The choice of this framing is not arbitrary: it emphasizes the sculptural verticality of the architectural elements that would have been enveloped, underlining the tension between mass, structure and textile surface. Stylistically, the work accurately illustrates the visual language characteristic of Christo's preparatory drawings. The technique combines charcoal, pencil and, on occasion, resources such as chalk or crayon, generating a rich tonal gradation and a marked sensation of volume. The dense network of strokes, an energetic and cumulative scratching, suggests the texture of the fabric and the tension of the strings that would have compressed the architecture, visually anticipating the result of the ephemeral intervention. These drawings were not only mere studies, but autonomous pieces destined for sale in galleries, museums and private collections. Through their commercialization, the artists fully financed their large-scale projects, maintaining a radical independence from subsidies, sponsorships or institutional commissions.

Christo (Christo Vladimirov Javacheff) trained between 1952 and 1956 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia and later spent a year in Prague. In 1957 he fled the socialist regime, settling first in Vienna and later in Geneva and Paris, where he lived in precarious conditions, earning a living painting portraits while developing his first works of "wrapped art". In 1958 he produced his first such piece and met Jeanne-Claude, with whom he would begin a decisive collaboration.

Daniel Varenne has worked with Christo for decades, marketing many of his works, including collages, drawings and large-scale installation projects.