When was alberto giacometti born and died

Eight things to know: Alberto Giacometti

Sculptor, painter, draughtsman and printmaker, Alberto Giacometti is one of the great artists of the twentieth century. We look at eight top things to know about the artist and his varied career.

1. He is an era defining sculptor

Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti was awarded the grand prize for sculpture at the 1962 Venice Biennale, bringing him worldwide fame. In 2010, Giacometti’s life-sized bronze sculpture of a man, L'Homme qui marche I became one of the most expensive sculptures to ever be sold at auction. The same work currently appears on the 100 Swiss Franc banknote. A tribute to the radical artist.

2. He worked with the surrealists

In 1931, Giacometti began to participate in some of André Breton’s surrealist group’s activities in Paris. Although he was later expelled from the movement due to his ’realistic’ works of models, Giacometti’s interest in surrealist forms and themes such as sexuality and trauma continued. Sculptures from the early 1930s which resemble toys or games invite the viewer to interact with t

Alberto Giacometti, Alberto Giacometti travaillant dans son atelier au buste de Yanaihara, septembre 1960, coll.Fondation Giacometti, Paris.
© Succession Giacometti (Fondation Giacometti, Paris et ADAGP, Paris)

Alberto Giacometti

Biographical timeline

Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966)

From 16 Jul 1901 To 18 Jan 1906

1901

10 October: birth of Alberto Giacometti in Borgonovo, a small village in the Val Bregaglia region of Switzerland, near the Italian border. The eldest child of Swiss Impressionist painter and engraver Giovanni Giacometti (1868-1933) and Annetta Stampa (1871-1964), he later has two brothers, Diego (1902-1985) and Bruno (born 1907), and a sister, Ottilia (1904-1937). The Swiss painters Cuno Amiet and Ferdinand Hodler are Alberto and Bruno’s godfathers. 

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Moves to Stampa, two kilometres from Borgonovo, where Giovanni sets up a studio.

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The family buys a holiday home in Maloja, on the banks of Lake Sil

Alberto Giacometti

Alberto Giacometti (, US also , Italian:[alˈbɛrtodʒakoˈmetti]; 10 October 1901 – 11 January 1966) was a Swiss sculptor, painter, draftsman and printmaker. Beginning in 1922, he lived and worked mainly in Paris but regularly visited his hometown Borgonovo to see his family and work on his art.

Giacometti was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. His work was particularly influenced by artistic styles such as Cubism and Surrealism. Philosophical questions about the human condition, as well as existential and phenomenological debates played a significant role in his work. Around 1935, he gave up on his Surrealist influences to pursue a more deepened analysis of figurative compositions. Giacometti wrote texts for periodicals and exhibition catalogues and recorded his thoughts and memories in notebooks and diaries. His critical nature led to self-doubt about his own work and his self-perceived inability to do justice to his own artistic vision. His insecurities nevertheless remained a powerful motivating artistic force throughout his entire lif

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