One of the more subtle pleasures of seeing art in new-to-me museums is seeing less familiar work of iconic artists. Giacometti has always been one of my favorites, and this more modest piece beckoned me with its charm and sadness. I feel a deep world-weariness in these attenuated textured sculptures, whose mood also reminds me of Modigliani. Modigliani’s women always seem like portraits of my insides and my outsides simultaneously. And Giacometti’s fingers are so tenderly, hesitantly, determinedly present in his forms.
Makes me want to hug them. And Van Gogh, too, while I’m at it. How much beauty — of both form and spirit — they have brought to the world!
Did you know that Giacometti was Swiss? Here in the Zürich Art Museum are many of his pieces, including his paintings. Did you know he was also a painter? So many things I have learned here.
I looked him up when I wrote this and discovered that he was Swiss and found out that he was a painter too. Now I need to go back and look at more of his work — which you can do in person!