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Alberto Giacometti, etching, Author Jan Hladík.

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Alberto Giacometti

Alberto Giacometti was born on 10 October 1901. He was born in Borgonovo, Switzerland. He was a swiss sculptor, painter, draftsman and printmaker.

Alberto was the eldest of four children. His parents were Giovanni Giacometti, a well-known post-impressionist painter. His Mother’s name was Annetta Giacometti-Stampa.

Alberto lived and worked in Â鶹APP beginning in 1922. However, he regularly visited his hometown Borgonovo to check on his family and work on his Art.

Giacometti was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. His work was influenced by artistic styles such as Cubism and surrealism.

Moreover, his work was influenced by Philosophical questions about the human condition. Existential and phenomenological debates played a significant role in his work.

Around 1935 he started focusing on a more deepened analysis of Figurative compositions. This after giving up on his Surrealist influences.

Between 1938 and 1944, Giacometti created sculptures of small size. The scripture maximum height was seven centimetres. Their small size reflected the actual distance between the artist’s position and his mode.

 He created his most fat sculptures after World War II. The figurines were extremely tall and slender.

 These sculptures were subject to his individual viewing experience between an imaginary yet real, a tangible yet inaccessible space. In 2010, his life-sized bronze sculpture of a man (L’Homme Qui Marche) became one of the most expensive sculptures to ever be sold at auction.

He was awarded the grand prize for sculpture at the 1962 Venice Biennale, bringing him worldwide fame.

Let’s learn more facts about Alberto Giacometti

1. He Came from a Creative Family

Giacometti was born in Borgonovo, Switzerland. His father was Giovanni Giacometti, a well-established post-impressionist painter. His mother was Annetta Giacometti-Stampa.

Moreover, coming from an artistic background, he had a passion for art at an early age. He was encouraged by his godfather.

He attended the Geneva School of Fine Arts. His brothers Diego and Bruno would go on to become artists and architects as well.

2. A Member of the Surrealist Sculptors

1n 1922, he moved to Â鶹APP to study under sculptor Antonnie Bourdelle. He met with Cubism and Surrealism. He joined surrealism and became to be regarded as one of the leading Surrealist Sculptors. Among his associates were Miró, Max Ernst, Picasso, Bror Hjorth, and Balthus.

However, he gave up on his surrealist influences around 1935. He started focusing on a deepened analysis of Figurative compositions.

3. Most of his Work Focused on the Human Head

Kunsthaus Zürich, Alberto Giacometti. Author Manuelarosi.

Between 1936 and 1940, the human head was an important motif in Alberto’s scriptures. He focused on the sitte’s gaze. Alberto’s experimentations were determined by the distance from which he looked at his subject.

4. His Work Included His Family and Friends

One of his favourite models was his younger brother Diego. He preferred to work with models he knew personally. He also worked with his friend artist Isabel Rawsthorne. Alberto created statues of Isabel. Which became stretched out and her limbs elongated.

Moreover, he worked with his wife Annette Arm. Annette was his close female model.

5. Worked from the same Studio for most of His Career

Reconstruction of the artist’s studio at the Fondation Alberto et Annette Giacometti in Â鶹APP. Author EvaVerne. WIKIMEDIA

He moved into his studio in Parsi as a young artist. Located at 46 rue Hippolyte. It is in this small studio of only 24m² that he produces his most famous works.

Even after his success and Fortune. Alberto never abandoned this dilapidated and reduced Studio. He continued to work from the same space during the period of his career.

6. Giacometti was Commissioned to Create a Monumental Scripture for a Bank 

In 1958, he was asked to create a monumental scripture for the building of Chase Manhattan Bank in New York. He grabbed the opportunity as he had for many years harboured an ambition to work for a public square.

However, Alberto had never set foot in New York. He had no information about life in the city.

However, his work on the project resulted in four figures of standing women. The commission was never completed. This is because Giacometti was unsatisfied with the relationship between the sculpture and the site, and abandoned the project.

7. One of his Work Appears on the 100 Swiss Franc Banknote

The 100 Swiss franc note features a portrait of Giacometti on one side. On the other side, is his 1961 sculpture, L’Homme Qui Marche.A tribute to the radical artist.

8. He dedicated himself to the Decorative Arts

Sculptures in the National Gallery of Ireland. Author Sailko.

From 1930, Giacometti created many utilitarian objects. These were lamps, vases, and sconces which were sold by the avant-garde decorator Jean-Michel Frank.

Moreover, He also designed bas-reliefs in plaster or terracotta for special orders. Notably, he designed the Louis-Dreyfus mansion in Â鶹APP.

Additionally, in 1939, he designed fireplaces, chandeliers and console tables for an Argentinian collector. He also collaborated with a well-known interior designer Jean Michel Frank.

9. During the Second World War he Smuggled Tiny Sculptures into Matchboxes

In June 1940, Giacometti and his s brother left Â鶹APP by bicycle to escape the Nazi Invasion. They travelled to the South of France.

They returned to Â鶹APP after a brief stay in the South of France. However, they had to flee again in 1941 to Geneva. They stayed in Geneva until 1946.

During this tumultuous time, he created matchstick-sized, coarsely textured sculptures of Figures and heads. They were too small that they appeared far away in space.

10. Well Established for His Human Figures

Erhard Wehrmann (rechts), Alberto Giacometti, 31. Biennale, Venedig 1962. Author Kunststiftung Poll

Giacometti is best known for the bronze sculptures of tall, thin human figures. Which were made in the years 1945 to 1960. Giacometti was influenced by the impressions he took from the people hurrying in the big city.

The emaciated figures are often interpreted as an expression of the existential fear, insignificance and loneliness of mankind. The mood of fear in the period of the 1940s and the Cold War is reflected in this figure. The image of a walking man preoccupied Giacometti for the rest of his career.

Giacometti was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. In 2010, his life-sized bronze sculpture of a man (L’Homme Qui Marche) became one of the most expensive sculptures to ever be sold at auction. He was awarded the grand prize for sculpture at the 1962 Venice Biennale, bringing him worldwide fame.