Alberto Giacometti - Beyond Bronze

Fifty years after the passing of Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966), this major new monograph illuminates the fundamental aspects of his oeuvre and technique in sculpture. It is based on years of extensive research and restoration work on seventy-five plasters that came to the collection of Kunsthaus Zürich as a bequest from Bruno Giacometti, Alberto s youngest brother. For Giacometti, plaster was of great importance as a material, far more than just an intermediate stage between clay model and bronze cast. It allowed him to paint or rework his objects in a vast variety of ways. A significant number of his sculptures indeed exist just in a plaster version. Featuring masterpieces from every stage of his career, this book focuses on Giacometti s artistic approach to the material nature of his chosen media, offering an insight into the creative process of one of the 20th century s greatest artists. With the plasters as a core, the selection comprises also works in other materials, such as marble, wood and bronze.