Newly revised, this affordable, richly-illustrated compact edition is the most definitive biographical study on the multifaceted artist and his oeuvre. Written by an internationally renowned scholar and personal friend of the artist, this new edition, revised with the Giacometti foundation in Paris, is both an erudite and intimate study that features exclusive archival material and first-hand accounts of the artist at work. Alberto Giacometti (19011966) is best known for his "eerie" series of bronze statues portraying wraithlike, emaciated figures which he created during a period of prolific artistic activity, stimulated by the devastating events of World War II. However, he was also an accomplished painter, draftsman, and lithographer, and came from an artistic background. Going beyond a traditional analysis of the artists sculptures for which he is most renowned, Yves Bonnefoys incisive text reveals how Giacometti was one of the most diverse artists of the past century.
This volume focuses on his artistic development and the works of art themselves, and is organized into chapters that identify key periods in the artists life, such as his travels in Italy and his time spent among the Parisian surrealists. Particular importance is given to his study of heads and the period of his monumental "Walking Man" series. Offering in-depth analysis and innovative interpretations of the artists paintings and sculptures, Yves Bonnefoy makes continual reference to Giacomettis writings and declarations in order to elucidate the intellectual and psychological context of his work. This work also benefits from photographic and documentary archives provided by Annette Giacometti and other family members. This new edition has been updated with the Giacometti foundation in Paris; featuring extensive notes, a detailed chronology and bibliography, and illustrated with nearly 600 works and documents, this seminal study remains one of the most comprehensive monographs on the artist, his life, and his oeuvre.