Alberto Giacometti was a painter, printmaker and furniture designer but he is best known as one of the 20th century’s most important sculptors. He is revered for the elongated, slender human figures he created in the years following World War II that reflected existentialism and the trauma associated with the conflict.
Giacometti was born in Borgonovo, Switzerland, in 1901 to a creative family. His father Giovanni was a Post-Impressionist painter, his godfather Cuno Amiet was a Fauvist painter, his brother Bruno was an architect, and his other brother Diego was an artist and furniture designer who also served as Giacometti’s model. (The sculptor worked chiefly with models plucked from his personal life.)
Beginning in 1922, Giacometti studied at the Académie de la Grande-Chaumière in Paris and was influenced by the Cubist work of Alexander Archipenko, Raymond Duchamp-Villon and the post-Cubist sculptures of Jacques Lipchitz and Henri Laurens.
During the 1930s, Giacometti designed furniture such as lamps, vases and wall décor to earn a living, often collaborating with interior designer Jean-Michel Frank, whose interiors tastefully mixed extravagance with sophisticated simplicity. However, Giacometti’s passion lay in creating sculptures.
Alberto and his brother Diego left Paris in 1940 to escape the Nazi invasion and spent time in the South of France before fleeing to Geneva, remaining there until 1946. In 1947, Giacometti began work on his most famous sculptures — very tall and thin figurines that came to be associated with frailty and loneliness.
Giacometti catapulted to fame in the United States following two exhibitions of his sculptures in 1948 and 1950 at the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York City — Jean-Paul Sartre authored the catalogue essay for the latter. In 1961, Giacometti’s friend, Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, asked him to design the set for a re-staging of his play “Waiting for Godot.” His response took on the form of a single plaster tree.
In 1962, Giacometti won the grand prize for sculpture at the Venice Biennale, and for much of the rest of his career, he created modern paintings, drawings and sculptures of plaster, clay and bronze in his small Paris studio. He died in 1966.
Giacometti’s works continue to enthrall collectors. In 2010, his life-size bronze sculpture L'Homme qui marche (“the man who walks”), which now adorns the 100 Swiss Franc banknote, became one of the most expensive sculptures to be sold at auction.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Alberto Giacometti wall decorations, prints and sculptures.
Margaret Lovell ''DIAMOND RELIEF'' BRUTALIST SCULPTURE C.1968
By Alberto Giacometti
Located in Stourbridge, West Midlands
Margaret Lovell DIPFA(Lond), FRBS, RWA ''Diamond Relief'' C.1968. Bronze mounted to a wooden base. This is a limited edition sculpture and number 3 of 4 and a unique version. Please ...
Bronze
Brutalist Chain Link Sculpture
Located in Malibu, CA
Antique chain sculpture that defies gravity. The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined to describe this style trend that emerged in the...
Iron
$3,950
H 21.25 in W 6 in D 3.25 in
Abstract Modernist Bronze Sculpture Figural with Brutalist Relief Texture 1970s
By Lynn Chadwick
Located in Troy, MI
Unique post-war abstract sculpture in solid bronze Anonymous artist circa 1970's Slab like torso cast in deep relief texture and nuanced patinas Three elongated legs and subtly offs...
Bronze
Brutalist Fiberglass Relief Wall Plaque, 1960s
Located in Benalmadena, ES
Brutalist relief plaque made of fiberglass in the 1960s, featuring an abstract surface of geometric shapes and incised textures. The patinated finish in bronze-effect tones evokes th...
Fiberglass
Bronze Mounted Brutalist Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bronze mounted abstract sculpture. The sculpture showcases an interlocking narrow bronze sculpture on a Douglas fir base. Dimensions 6.75" width x 3.25" depth x 13.25" height. Cond...
Bronze
Large Brutalist Wall Sculpture, 1970s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Architectural Brutalist wall mounted sculpture made from cast metal. Imposing wall sculpture 1970s - Belgium Height: 87cm/34.25" Lenght: 190cm/74.80".
Metal
Vintage Boho Brutalist Modernist Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Command attention with the raw, architectural power of this vintage Brutalist sculpture. Epitomizing the avant-garde spirit of the Mid-Century Modernist movement, this striking abstr...
Stone, Aluminum
Large brutalist wall sculpture, 1970s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Architectural brutalist wall mounted sculpture made from cast metal. Imposing wall sculpture 1970s - Belgium Height: 90cm Width: 175cm Ref.: 2508120403 *All images are always pa...
Metal
Brutalist Glazed Ceramic Horse Sculptures, 3
Located in Astoria, NY
Group of Three Brutalist Polychrome Glazed Ceramic Horse Sculptures, signed "JJ" to the undersides, each mounted on acrylic base. Tallest overall: 8" H x 6.25" W x 3" D. Provenance...
Ceramic
1970s Vintage Geometric Wood Wall Sculpture, Brutalist Relief Panel
Located in La Mesa, CA
Handcrafted in the 1970s and sourced from a Southern California estate, this sculptural wood wall panel showcases a bold geometric relief design, meticulously assembled from richly g...
Wood
1960s Brutalist Steel Abstract Sculpture
Located in Raleigh, NC
Heavily textured and expressive vintage sculpture. Has tons of movement and a wonderful patina.
Cut Steel
$5,268Sale Price|30% Off
H 42.52 in W 72.84 in D 3.15 in
Headboard with Brutalist Bronze Sculpture by Frigerio, Italy, 1968
By Luciano Frigerio
Located in London, GB
Headboard with large Brutalist bronze sculpture, model "Aurora" by Frigerio, Italy, 1968. The headboard comprises a large Brutalist sand-cast sculpture, overlaid on an arc of textured lacquered metal, which has a deep gold finish. The piece is in very nice vintage condition. We have left the sculpture unpolished and it has a developed an aged patina, ranging from brown to gold. There are minor losses to the finish of the headboard frame, both the arc and the cross-bars. The sculpture is bolted to the bed frame; it appears it could be unbolted and used separately, though we have not tried to do so. Approximate dimensions: Sculpture W 173 cm x H 49 cm Headboard W 185 cm x H 108 cm Please be aware this listing is for the headboard only. The remaining three sections of the bed surround...
Metal, Bronze
Jack Van Deckter Brutalist Sculpture
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A really wonderful torch cut, brutalist sculpture by Jack Van Deckter, ca' 1960's. Patinated wrought iron-heavy. Abstract but with a figurative feel. Jack Van Deckter (American, 1917...
Wrought Iron
Pair of Alberto Giacometti Cubism Bronze Sculptural Musicians 20thC
By Alberto Giacometti
Located in Big Flats, NY
Pair of Alberto Giacometti Cubism Bronze Sculptural Musicians 20thC Measures Female 14"H x 4"W x 3"D; Male 15"H x 4"W x 3"D
Bronze
Alberto Giacometti Bronze Bust Sculpture on a Stone Base
By Alberto Giacometti
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
An exquisite bronze bust sculpture crafted by the renowned artist Alberto Giacometti. This remarkable piece is signed on the back of the sculpture and numbered 7/30, adding to its ra...
Stone, Granite, Bronze
Giacometti: Alberto Giacometti, ca. 1980s
By Alberto Giacometti
Located in New York, NY
Giacometti: Alberto Giacometti "This work attempts the difficult task of reevaluation of the career of the least recognized of the great twentieth century artist. Giacometti's perso...
Paper
Alberto Giacometti A Retrospective Exhibition Book, 1974, New York
By Alberto Giacometti
Located in New York, NY
A rare Alberto Giacometti exhibition catalog book, published 1974, by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York, NY. Catalog was of an exhibition held April 5 - June 23, 1974 at...
Paper
Giacometti Coffee Table or Library Book
By Alberto Giacometti
Located in New York, NY
A beautifully made New York exhibition Giacometti coffee table or library book, printed in Italy. Alberto Giacometti, Sculptor, was born in Bor...
Paper