Artist Spotlight: Alberto Giacometti, Swiss Sculptor and Surrealist

By Dean Gregory, to Museum Spotlight Europe (September, 2019)

In recent years, the esteemed Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti has received greater attention throughout the art world and even in popular entertainment. In recent years, both the Guggenheim Museum in New York and in Bilbao, Spain, featured retrospective exhibitions dedicated to the sculptor and painter. In Montparnasse, Paris, an institute dedicated completely to the artist opened in 2018 near the studio he worked in for much of his life. Even a Hollywood biopic of the artist’s life, entitled Final Portrait, starring Geoffrey Rush and Armie Hammer, was released to critical acclaim in 2017. However, to best understand the work of Giacometti, a trip to his native Switzerland reveals the full breadth and richness of the artist’s vision. A bevy of institutions throughout the country illuminate the origins and culmination of a lifetime dedicated to art. Discover below a medley of museums that feature Giacometti and the splendor of his vision.   

Giacometti 101

Born in Borgonovo, Switzerland in 1901, Giacometti thrived as a sculptor, painter, draftsman and printmaker. Moving to Paris in 1922, he studied under the tutelage of Antoine Bourdelle who kept company with Auguste Rodin. Reflecting the influences of cubism and surrealism in his work, Giacometti counted esteemed artists such as Miró, Picasso and Balthus as part of his artistic milieu at the time. The Swiss master became renowned for his sculpture technique, which became shaped by works from Egypt he viewed in museums in Paris and Italy. The Metropolitan Museum of Art described his signature sculpture style as this: “Reduced, as they are, to their very core, these figures evoke lone trees in winter that have lost their foliage. Within this style, Giacometti would rarely deviate from the three themes that preoccupied him—the walking man; the standing, nude woman; and the bust—or all three, combined in various groupings.” Subsequent artists such as Francis Bacon, Sarah Lucas and Marina Abramović cite Giacometti as an influence, reflecting the rich legacy of the Swiss maestro.

Fondation Beyeler

The Fondation Beyeler, located just outside Basel, features works acquired from the entire collection of the American art patron and collector G. David Thompson. Arguably, Thompson had cultivated the most important collection of works by Giacometti near the mid 20th century. Interestingly, the collection was secured by Ernst Beyeler, the art dealer and namesake of the museum, through a generous bank guarantee secured by the healthcare and cosmetics magnate Hans Grether in collaboration with the Kunsthaus Zürich and other private citizens to establish a foundation. Grether secured the financing for Beyeler against shares of his company, the Doetsch Grether Group. Grether’s widow Esther continues the artistic legacy of her family with her own collection of modern masters, including Giacometti, Picasso, Bacon, Cézanne and Dalí.

Nevertheless, the Beyeler features several of Giacometti’s most accomplished works, including the sculptures Femme de Venise VIII, Grande femme III and L’Homme qui marche II  as well as the paintings Isaku Yanaihara, Aïka and Caroline. Designed by the prominent architect Renzo Piano, the museum is located amongst an English landscape park, a holding of the prestigious Berower Manor. While walking through the bucolic grounds, visitors encounter works by Ellsworth Kelly, Alexander Calder and Thomas Schütte Hare, amongst views of grazing cows, cornfields, trees, vineyards and the Black Forest.

The museum recommends guests utilize public transportation to arrive at the museum, namely the train service from Basel, which takes approximately 25 minutes. For guests arriving by automobile, parking spaces are available. Some visitors elect to combine a visit to the museum with a bicycle tour easily accessible through a path.

Kunstmuseum Basel

Back in central Basel resides the Kunstmuseum Basel, which also shares a connection to the Thompson collection acquired by Beyeler with the generosity of Hans Grether. In fact, 22 works from the collection are housed withing the institution on permanent loan. Highlights include Boule suspendue, which inspired Surrealist artists, as well as the monolithic Cube, which, from the perspective of Giacometti, marked the culmination of the Surrealist movement.

In addition to Giacometti, visitors encounter a rich array of modern masters such as Paul Klee and Picasso. The institution is spread out over three free-standing buildings. Completed in 1936, the Hauptbau structure was conceived by the esteemed architects Rudolf Christ and Paul Bonatz who represent the conservative modernism. In the spring of 2016, the Neubau, located across the street from Hauptbau, was designed by the Basel-based architecture firm Christ & Gantenbein. The Gegenwart structure was developed through a consortium of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, the Christoph Merian Foundation and the Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation. Each building is easily accessible by public transportation, namely tram, and on foot within the city center. 

Kunsthaus Zürich

East of Basel in Zürich, the Kunsthaus Zürich museum provides a portal into the work of Giacometti. One of the most prominent works on display is the artist’s Le chariot created in 1950. In totality, the museum boasts one of the nation’s most prominent collections, including approximately 4,000 paintings and sculptures ranging from Rembrandt and Rodin to Van Gogh and Andy Warhol. By 2020, a new extension to the museum is schedule to be complete, featuring contemporary architectural trends in the center of Zürich. The museum is easily reached by tram, taxi or on foot.

Other Museums on Giacometti

In addition the museums in Basel and Zurich, other institutions feature hallmark works of the artist. The Buender Kunstmuseum in Chur and the Kunstmuseum Winterthur in Winterthur offer a selection of Giacometti pieces for visitors to enjoy, including the sculptures, paintings and drawings. The museum in Chur, located in the center of the city, features exhibitions dedicated to not only Alberto but the larger Giacometti family. Both institutions are located within two hours of each other via train service through Zurich.

Cover photo by Kunststiftung Poll