What do you think?
Rate this book
Alberto Giacometti, a biography
Alberto Giacometti is more than a major twentieth-century artist — he is also one of the century’s most intriguing characters. This biography, the result of new research, takes us into the private life of an artist haunted by his oeuvre, driven relentlessly by an uncompromising and demanding nature.
Following a childhood spent in his father’s studio in Switzerland, and then his student days in Paris studying under the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, the young artist split from his early mentors, looking instead to cubism, then surrealism. He earned near-immediate recognition for
his work and the admiring friendship of André Breton, yet Giacometti soon turned his back on the surrealist objects that had brought him fame, opting instead to break away on his own — a choice that led him to the margins of mainstream movements. A friend to leading artists and intellectuals, he made his own way in the solitude of his legendary studio in Montparnasse. Strongly attracted to human representation and influenced by archaic and non-Western art, he eschewed naturalist representation in favor of a synoptic and sometimes tortured vision of the figure — one filled with mysterious power.
Catherine Grenier recounts the exceptional story of Alberto Giacometti, his life, career, and work, in a biography that is every bit as thrilling as a novel.
Following a childhood spent in his father’s studio in Switzerland, and then his student days in Paris studying under the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, the young artist split from his early mentors, looking instead to cubism, then surrealism. He earned near-immediate recognition for
his work and the admiring friendship of André Breton, yet Giacometti soon turned his back on the surrealist objects that had brought him fame, opting instead to break away on his own — a choice that led him to the margins of mainstream movements. A friend to leading artists and intellectuals, he made his own way in the solitude of his legendary studio in Montparnasse. Strongly attracted to human representation and influenced by archaic and non-Western art, he eschewed naturalist representation in favor of a synoptic and sometimes tortured vision of the figure — one filled with mysterious power.
Catherine Grenier recounts the exceptional story of Alberto Giacometti, his life, career, and work, in a biography that is every bit as thrilling as a novel.
- GenresArt
346 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2018
11 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 26, 2025
From the exhibition at Tate Modern - drawings, portraits, statues - including early works - so much more than just the elongated figurines - a great way to remember the exhibition experience
December 26, 2025
Excellent biography and thanks to the illustrations better than the Lord.
May 15, 2020
An insightful biography of the great sculptor Giacometti. The author recounts the exceptional story of Alberto Giacometti, his life, career, and work. Personally I learned a lot from his surrealist period when he joined the movement, the book is quite thorough with many interesting info.
4* because I felt it missed details and a general description was not enough sometimes
4* because I felt it missed details and a general description was not enough sometimes
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews