How to Spot a Sculpture by Giacometti

Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) was one of the most famous sculptors of the 20th century, and his work is relatively easy to recognize. Much of this has to do with the diminutive scale in which he worked. According to critic Edward Lucie-Smith, many of Giacometti’s works can fit into matchboxes. Beyond comparing the size of a Giacometti with the traditionally large-scale, monumental sculptures that have been typical of the medium before and since, there are several ways to determine whether a sculpture was crafted by this eccentric Swiss master.

Instructions

1. Date the work. Giacometti was active from the early 1920s until his death at age 64, making his work characteristic of European Modernism. If you are looking at an elegant marble statue reminiscent of Michelangelo, for instance, then you know you are not looking at a Giacometti sculpture.

2. Note whether the sculpture is abstract or primitive. At a time when abstract art was in vogue, Giacometti was something of a rebel, as he worked from the figure. Nearly all of his works feature the human body.

3. Notice the way the figures look. Giacometti’s figures are always tall and extremely thin, and they often have unrealistically long noses.

4. Determine what materials were used. All of Giacometti’s major works were cast in bronze.

5. Consider the venue. Since Giacometti was a 20th-century artist, you won’t find any of his works in a museum wing that is dedicated to, say, the Renaissance.

References

• Artchive: Alberto Giacometti by Edward Lucie-Smith