Alberto Giacometti is considered perhaps the most prominent contemporary sculptor. In any case, his work is sold at auctions at mind-boggling prices. Much influenced the search for their own style in art. One of the powerful impressions - during the Second World War, he found himself in the bombed Longjumeau, and there he came across a bloody thin woman's hand torn off by an explosion …
While traveling in Italy at the age of 19, in front of Alberto's eyes, his young companion suddenly died. Since then, the thoughts of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death have not left Giacometti. After this incident, he slept only with the lights on.
The beginning of the biography
Alberto Giacometti was born October 10, 1901 (died January 11, 1966). His homeland is the small village of Borgonovo in the then municipality of Stampa, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland.
He was the eldest of four children of the Swiss painter Giovanni Giacometti (1868-1933) and Annette Giacometti-Stampa (1871-1964). The three brothers grew up in a creative environment and subsequently they all linked their lives with art. Diego Giacometti (1902-1985) became a designer and sculptor. Bruno Giacometti (1907-2012) - architect. He was one of the most famous architects in Switzerland after World War II. Bruno lived a very long life, died at the 105th year of his life. Their sister Ottilia died after giving birth to a son at the age of 33.
Alberto Giacometti's path in creativity
The most gifted of the children was Alberto Giacometti. Since childhood, he loved to draw and sculpt sculptures and quickly realized that he was talented. His models were close, but most often for many years, the younger brother Diego.
In 1919-1920, Alberto studied at the Geneva School of Fine Arts, and then went to Italy. He strove to comprehend and understand what he saw around him. He discovered that he could not reproduce reality in its traditional form in his works. It seemed to him that people are huge externally and internally, and the way they are usually portrayed is not able to reflect this.
After Italy he entered the art academy de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris. His teacher in sculpture was a student of Auguste Rodin - Emile Antoine Bourdelle.
Giacometti did not want to follow the traditional canons based on antiquity, and painfully searched for his own path in creativity. In Paris, he discovered modernism, cubism, surrealism, African art and the art of the peoples of Oceania. This confirmed him in his unwillingness to create in the European tradition. He believed that the flat image, which is inherent in these cultures, is the closest to reality. Indeed, when they look at a person, they see only one side of him and do not know what is behind him. He creates portraits as a mask, as a plane. Begins to make cubist sculptures in which human figures are guessed.
In the end, Alberto Giacometti radically rethought the idea of sculpture and achieved his goal - he found his own pictorial style. The figures of his works have elongated and incredibly thinned. With such unusual proportions, the sculptor seemed to emphasize the fragility and defenselessness of living beings.
Giacometti's workshop was located in the Parisian district of Montparnasse. He worked there for about 40 years. Although the room was small, only 20 square meters, and uncomfortable, he did not want to move anywhere even when he could already afford it financially. He was a fanatical workaholic and indifferent to the blessings of the world. He did not monitor his health, ate poor quality food, smoked and visited establishments with women of easy virtue.
Personal life
Giacometti met his future wife, 20-year-old Annette Arm, in Geneva, where he lived during World War II. They had no children. In his youth, Alberto suffered from a disease that made him childless.
Annette and brother Diego were persistent and selfless models. The brother not only posed for Alberto, but was also his best friend, support and assistant.
Alberto Giacometti died on January 11, 1966 in the Swiss city of Chur. He left no will, and his entire inheritance went to his wife. Neither his brother, nor the girl, whom he dearly loved in the last years of his life, got nothing.
Alberto Giacometti's works break records at auctions
Alberto Giacometti managed to gain recognition during his lifetime. However, fabulous money his work began to bring after his death. So, in 2010, his sculpture "Walking Man" with lightning speed - in just 8 minutes of auction - was sold at Sotheby's for $ 103.9 million.
In 2015, another sculpture, The Pointing Man, set a new price record. It was purchased for $ 141.7 million at Christie's.
But not only the sculptures of Giacometti are overwhelming success. In 2013, Christie’s auction house sold Diego in a Plaid Shirt, a 1954 portrait of his younger brother, friend and helper.
In 2014, the bronze sculpture "The Chariot" was sold for $ 101 million.
Alberto Giacometti on banknotes and counterfeits
The commercial success of Giacometti's works haunted some envious people. So, since the 1980s, the Dutch artist Robert Dreissen undertook to counterfeit his works. Fakes disguised as originals have long been in demand.
The work of the great sculptor is firmly connected with money by one more facet. Since 1996, Switzerland has issued a 100-franc bill depicting Alberto Giacometti and his sculptures.
Gallery of sculptures by Alberto Giacometti
Alberto Giacometti, "Man and Woman"
