ALBERTO GIACOMETTI:

AN ART OF IMPASSE

by

ROALD NASGAARD

B.A., U n i v e r s i t y o f B r i t i s h Columbia, 1965

A THESIS SUBMITTED- IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF ARTS

I n t h e Department

of

Fine A r t s

We a c c e p t t h i s t h e s i s as conforming t o t h e

required standards

THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

May, 1967
In p r e s e n t i n g t h i s t h e s i s in p a r t i a l f u l f i l m e n t o f the requirements

f o r an advanced degree at the U n i v e r s i t y o f B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a , I agree

t h a t the L i b r a r y s h a l l make i t f r e e l y a v a i l a b l e f o r r e f e r e n c e and

study, I f u r t h e r agree t h a t p e r m i s s i o n f o r e x t e n s i v e c o p y i n g o f this

thesis f o r s c h o l a r l y purposes may be g r a n t e d by the Head o f my

Department o r by h i s representatives.. It i s understood t h a t c o p y i n g

o r p u b l i c a t i o n o f t h i s t h e s i s f o r f i n a n c i a l g a i n s h a l l not be a l l o w e d

w i t h o u t my w r i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n .

Department o f FINE ARTS

The U n i v e r s i t y o f B r i t i s h Columbia
Vancouver 8, Canada

Date May 3, 1967

 ABSTRACT

Within Giacometti s 1
concepts of what a r t must do,

h i s own a r t has reached an impasse. He d e f i n e s a r t as a means

t o see b e t t e r and c o n s i d e r s i t a method o f r e s e a r c h i n t o the

n a t u r e o f the e x t e r i o r world. When the t r u t h of t h i s nature

has been d i s c o v e r e d and t o t a l l y r e - c r e a t e d on canvas or i n

s c u l p t u r e , o n l y then i s h i s a r t complete. Instead of greater

knowledge, however, h i s v i s u a l r e s e a r c h e s have o n l y y i e l d e d

more u n c e r t a i n t y and m y s t e r y ; and the q u a l i t i e s o f the

exterior w o r l d have escaped him u n t i l he i s i n d e s p a i r of ever

reproducing them. He f i n d s h i m s e l f i n the situation,

consequently, of t r y i n g to represent i n a r t t h a t which he has

no knowledge o f . I t i s the terms and m a n i f e s t a t i o n s of t h i s

impasse t h a t t h e p r e s e n t paper p u r p o r t s to d i s c u s s .

As p r e f a t o r y background to the d i s c u s s i o n p r o p e r , I

have proposed the c o n t r a s t e d images o f the a c r o b a t and the

clown, a metaphorical framework suggested i n c r i t i c i s m of

Samuel B e c k e t t , who, i n l i t e r a t u r e , has reached an impasse

comparable t o G i a c o m e t t i ' s in art. The acrobat represents the

a r t i s t who, l i k e G i a c o m e t t i , d e s p i t e an impasse pursues h i s

i m p o s s i b l e g o a l r e l e n t l e s s l y , g l a d o f the most m i n i s c u l e

achievement. The c l o w n , on the o t h e r hand, a c c e p t s the f a i l u r e

of h i s a r t and c r e a t e s a new a r t whose b a s i s i s f a i l u r e . The

clown a c t s as a f o i l t o t h e a c r o b a t . I note a l s o t h e c r i t i c s '

f a i l u r e t o consider Giacometti i n r e l a t i o n to h i s t r a d i t i o n ,

an unpardonable o m i s s i o n because t h e c r i s i s i n h i s a r t i s as

w e l l an i n d i c a t i o n o f a c r i s i s w i t h i n t h e t r a d i t i o n .

When G i a c o m e t t i d e f i n e s a r t as a means t o see b e t t e r ,

he r e f e r s t o no s i m p l e p h y s i c a l a c t o f r e c o r d i n g sensation.

Seeing i s a h i g h l y c r i t i c a l p r o c e d u r e which s t r i p s v i s i o n o f

the v e i l o f c u l t u r e which t r a d i t i o n has p l a c e d between t h e eye

and t h e model, and f r e e s t h e mind o f outmoded forms and

conventions o f p e r c e p t i o n which have become i r r e l e v a n t t o t h e

t o t a l experience and o r g a n i z a t i o n o f t h e a r t i s t . Having

performed t h i s o p e r a t i o n , t h e a r t i s t i s f r e e t o observe t h e

t r u e nature o f t h e e x t e r i o r w o r l d and r e c o r d i t s l i k e n e s s i n

art.

Giacometti's r i g i d l y c o n t r o l l e d .seeing, however, has

not r e v e a l e d t h e d e s i r e d knowledge, b u t has i n s t e a d y i e l d e d

the experience o f t h e d i s t a n c e which f o r e v e r s e p a r a t e s t h e

a r t i s t from e v e r y t h i n g he wants t o d e p i c t . Instead o f being

a b l e t o r e - c r e a t e t h e human f a c e and f i g u r e , G i a c o m e t t i has

o n l y succeeded i n p r o d u c i n g those s l i m , a t t e n u a t e d , emaciated

f i g u r e s whose human c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s d i s a p p e a r as we approach

them, and whose gaze s t a r e s e m p t i l y and i m p e n e t r a b l y into

space, r e v e a l i n g n o t h i n g . H i s a r t has become a t e s t i m o n y t o

the common e x p e r i e n c e o f contemporary thought: man's a l i e n a t i o n

 iv

and i s o l a t i o n . T h i s i s b a s i c a l l y what denies t h e a r t i s t t h e

i n t i m a t e r a p p o r t w i t h h i s model n e c e s s a r y i n o r d e r t o r e - c r e a t e

i t s likeness. As contemporary s c i e n c e and p h i l o s o p h y have been

l i m i t e d i n t h e i r r e s e a r c h e s by human f i n i t u d e , so has

Giacometti's a r t . H i s minuscule b i t o f knowledge i s but a

speck on t h e i n f i n i t e s c a l e o f t h i n g s ; and p a r t i a l knowledge

i s not t r u t h .

F i n a l l y t h e awareness o f human f i n i t u d e w i t h i n a r t i s

t r a c e d t h r o u g h i t s development i n t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y . The

d i f f i c u l t y o f r e a l i z i n g on canvas what he saw i n n a t u r e became

p a r t i c u l a r l y e v i d e n t t o Cezanne i n an age when, d e p r i v e d o f

a l l r e l e v a n t e s t a b l i s h e d t r a d i t i o n s o f a r t , he had t o d i s c o v e r

f o r h i m s e l f a new a r t i s t i c language and imagery. Cezanne

began t o suspect t h e i m p o s s i b i l i t y o f doing a r t which sought

a f t e r t r u t h , but he s t i l l had r e f e r e n c e t o m e t a p h y s i c a l

concepts as t o t h e n a t u r e o f t h e e x t e r n a l w o r l d which made h i s

success i n a r t a t l e a s t c o n c e i v a b l e . Giacometti i s deprived

o f such concepts and h i s contemporary s e n s i b i l i t y d e n i e s h i s

ever a c h i e v i n g a b a s i s o f c e r t a i n t y . A r t f o r him w i l l always

be a t e n t a t i v e g e s t u r e i n t h e d i r e c t i o n o f c o m p l e t i o n , but

completion i s i n h e r e n t l y impossible. These a r e t h e terms o f

the impasse i n G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t .

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER I 3

CHAPTER I I 17

CHAPTER I I I 25

CHAPTER IV 37

CHAPTER V 50

CHAPTER VI 67

CONCLUSIONS 78

FOOTNOTES 81

BIBLIOGRAPHY 88
 INTRODUCTION

G i a c o m e t t i d e f i n e s h i s a r t as a means o f s e e i n g b e t t e r .

But h i s r e - c r e a t i o n on canvas o r i n s c u l p t u r e o f what he sees

i s thwarted because he approaches h i s model w i t h a contemporary

s e n s i b i l i t y which, by e x p e r i e n c i n g s e p a r a t i o n and a l i e n a t i o n

as primary a t t r i b u t e s o f man's b e i n g , denies t h e a r t i s t t h e

i n t i m a t e r a p p o r t w i t h h i s model n e c e s s a r y f o r him t o see i t

better. The consequent gap which d e v e l o p s between a r t ' s i d e a l

g o a l , which i s t o r e - c r e a t e t h e model, and the o n l y p a r t i a l

r e a l i z a t i o n t h e r e o f , because t h e model i s i n a c c e s s i b l e , c r e a t e s

an impasse whereby t h e f a i l u r e o f a r t becomes i n e v i t a b l e .

T h i s paper p u r p o r t s t o d i s c u s s t h e terms and t h e m a n i f e s t a -

t i o n s o f t h i s impasse i n G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t .

The d i s c u s s i o n develops against the metaphorical

framework o f t h e c o n t r a s t e d images o f t h e a c r o b a t and t h e

clown. The former r e p r e s e n t s t h e a r t i s t who w i l l not accept

f a i l u r e , so r e l e n t l e s s l y pursues h i s i m p o s s i b l e g o a l ; where-

as t h e l a t t e r i s he who a c c e p t s f a i l u r e and bases h i s a r t

upon i t . The clown a c t s as a f o i l t o G i a c o m e t t i who reaches

t h e t h r e s h o l d o f t h e clown's a r t b u t does n o t c r o s s i t .

A f t e r noting the c r i t i c s ' f a i l u r e t o consider

Giacometti i n r e l a t i o n t o h i s a r t i s t i c t r a d i t i o n - a serious

o m i s s i o n because t h e impasse w i t h i n h i s a r t i s evidence o f

an impasse w i t h i n the t r a d i t i o n - t h e paper i n d i c a t e s t h e

extreme c r i s i s into which Giacometti's a r t i s t i c pursuit has

f a l l e n , and traces the o r i g i n of t h i s c r i s i s through his early-

years. His attitude towards art and h i s methods of work are

outlined and two concepts basic to his a r t are elucidated:

the act of seeing, and the quality of 'likeness' which he

strives to r e a l i z e . The consequent a r t i s t i c product i s

examined as a revelation of man's contemporary sense of i s o l a -

t i o n and alienation; experiences which are basic to Giacometti'

incapacity to r e a l i z e his model on canvas or i n sculpture,

and to the impasse which has arisen within his a r t . The

f i n a l chapter discusses the impasse i n r e l a t i o n to the f i n i -

tude within other areas of contemporary thought and traces

the development of the problem of r e a l i z a t i o n through the

nineteenth century to i t s climactic expression i n Giacometti's

art.
 CHAPTER I

G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t as w e l l as h i s statements r e v e a l a

man who, d e s p i t e the u l t i m a t e f a i l u r e of h i s a r t , n e v e r t h e -

l e s s pursues i t p e r s i s t e n t l y , g l a d of the s m a l l e s t achieve-

ment. I propose as a backdrop t o t h i s d i s c u s s i o n of

G i a c o m e t t i a p a i r o f c o n t r a s t i n g images which sum up the

a l t e r n a t i v e s open t o an a r t i s t who has reached a p o i n t where

success i n h i s work has become i n h e r e n t l y i m p o s s i b l e . These

a r e the images of the a c r o b a t and the clown.

There e x i s t s a s k e t c h by G i a c o m e t t i , from 1923, of a

t i g h t r o p e walker.^" I t i s crude and of l i t t l e a e s t h e t i c

i n t e r e s t and l i t t l e i s known o f the circumstances under which

i t was done. I t does s e r v e , however, t o l e t the a r t i s t him-

s e l f i n t r o d u c e the image w i t h which t h i s paper w i l l a s s o c i a t e

him; t h a t of the a c r o b a t who balances p r e c a r i o u s l y i n space,

performing h i s impossible t r i c k s . The drawing was executed

b e f o r e G i a c o m e t t i turned t o a b s t r a c t i o n ; a t B o u r d e l l e ' s s t u d i o

where he s t i l l s t r u g g l e d w i t h r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , w o r k i n g d i r e c t l y

from the model - a t a s k which f o r a w h i l e he would f o r s a k e ,

but t o which he r e t u r n e d and devoted the r e s t of h i s life.

It i s Giacometti's s t r u g g l e t o d e p i c t the model as he sees

i t t h a t w a r r a n t s h i s a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h the acrobat.

I n c o n t r a s t t o the image of the t i g h t r o p e walker who

d a z z l e s us w i t h h i s a g i l i t y i s the o t h e r s t o c k c i r c u s char-

a c t e r , the clown, who d e l i g h t s u s , not by h i s consummate

 4

a g i l i t y , but by h i s f a i l u r e t o be a g i l e . The two images as

o p p o s i t e s a r e proposed i n Hugh Kenner's c r i t i c a l w r i t i n g s on

Samuel B e c k e t t . ^ And i t i s i n t e r e s t i n g t o examine G i a c o m e t t i

i n the l i g h t o f the c r i t i c a l t h e s i s of a contemporary w r i t e r ,

even i f i t i s by c o n t r a s t r a t h e r t h a n by s i m i l a r i t y i n

approach t h a t we must g a i n our i n s i g h t s . Nor i s i t i n -

a p p r o p r i a t e t o compare t r e n d s i n s c u l p t u r e and p a i n t i n g t o

those i n l i t e r a t u r e and t h e a t r e s i n c e i t i s t o be expected

t h a t new a r t i s t i c t e n d e n c i e s should a t t a i n t h e i r f i r s t

e x p l i c i t v e r b a l m a n i f e s t a t i o n s i n the l a t t e r be'fore becoming

apparent t o c r i t i c s and h i s t o r i a n s . The comparison i n t h i s

case y i e l d s i n t e r e s t i n g r e s u l t s , f o r i f we c o n s i d e r Giacometti

the p a i n t e r - s c u l p t o r as the a c r o b a t o f the c i r c u s p a i r , then

B e c k e t t , a c c o r d i n g t o Kenner's t h e s i s , r e p r e s e n t s the clown.

But a thorough e x p l i c a t i o n of the two images r e q u i r e s an

e x t e n s i v e e x c u r s i o n i n t o the realm of B e c k e t t i a n thought.

The r o p e w a l k e r or t h e a c r o b a t i s he who s t e p by s t e p

improves h i s a r t by g r e a t e r knowledge and i n t e n s e r t r a i n i n g .

By sheer d i n t of hard work and p e r s i s t a n c e he p e r f e c t s w i t h

h a i r - r a i s i n g p r e c i s i o n h i s t r i c k s on the w i r e . He i s i n

constant danger. He must work always on the v e r y edge of

the i m p o s s i b l e . To do l e s s , t o p e r f o r m o n l y t h a t which i s

s a f e and proven i s t o s i n k i n t o r o u t i n e and b e t r a y the

i n t e g r i t y of h i s a r t . Not t o r e l e n t l e s s l y b u i l d new strength

and s k i l l i s t o bore and t h e n l o o s e h i s audience and to

emasculate h i s performance. The a c r o b a t must l e a r n a l l t h a t

has been developed i n h i s a r t . He must copy a l l t h a t p r e v i o u s

 5

acrobats have l e a r n e d and then add t o i t h i s own s m a l l con-

tribution. Kenner's d e s c r i p t i o n i s e x c e l l e n t . "The man who

i m i t a t e s i s t h e a c r o b a t h i m s e l f ( a l l ropewalkers a r e a l i k e ) ,

a d d i n g t o what we have seen before i n o t h e r c i r c u s e s some new

m i n i s c u l e d i f f i c u l t y overcome, moving on f e l t - s h o d f e e t a

l i t t l e f u r t h e r a l o n g t h e d r e a r y road of t h e p o s s i b l e . " ^ H i s

i n a c h i e v a b l e i d e a l i s t o d e f y the laws o f n a t u r e .

I n a r t , p a i n t i n g and s c u l p t u r e , the a c r o b a t manifests

h i m s e l f i n a t l e a s t two ways. We t u r n f o r c l a r i f i c a t i o n t o

Samuel B e c k e t t h i m s e l f i n h i s one p u b l i c appearance. I n 1949

w i t h Georges D u t h u i t he prepared a s e r i e s o f t h r e e dialogues

on as many p a i n t e r s ( T a l Coat, Masson, Va>n V e l d e ) . ^ We will

not concern o u r s e l v e s i n t h i s paper w i t h t h e adequateness

of Beckett's a n a l y s i s o f t h e p a i n t e r s he chooses t o d i s c u s s .

What i s r e l e v a n t i s h i s a n a l y s i s o f a development w i t h i n

art which i s comparable t o t h a t m a n i f e s t e d i n h i s own n o v e l s

and p l a y s . The f i r s t two p a i n t e r s d i s c u s s e d i n the dialogue

are, i n Beckett's terms, t h e a c r o b a t s . P a i n t e r no. 1 i s he

who deserves t h e a t t e n t i o n o f h i s audience because he has

extended t h e boundaries o f h i s a r t .

B. T o t a l o b j e c t , complete w i t h m i s s i n g p a r t s ,
i n s t e a d o f p a r t i a l o b j e c t . Q u e s t i o n o f degree....
I n any case a t h r u s t i n g towards a more adequate
e x p r e s s i o n of n a t u r a l e x p e r i e n c e , as r e v e a l e d
to the v i g i l a n t coenaesthesia. Whether a c h i e v e d
t h r o u g h s u b m i s s i o n o r through mastery, t h e r e s u l t
i s a gain i n nature.
i

D.'s p r o t e s t s , t h a t t h i s p a i n t e r ' s d i s c o v e r i e s a r e

not i n n a t u r e , a r e not r e l a t e d t o a g i v e n time o r p l a c e ,

but a r e on q u i t e a d i f f e r e n t p l a n e , a r e t o naught, f o r B.
6
a s s e r t s t h a t by n a t u r e he means "a composite o f p e r c e i v e r

and p e r c e i v e d , n o t a datum, or e x p e r i e n c e . " This i s p a i n t -

ing adapted t o a contemporary environment, b u t w i t h the same

end as a l l p r e v i o u s p a i n t i n g : " s t r a i n i n g t o enlarge the

statement o f a compromise." B. t u r n s t o t h e Renaissance

p a i n t e r s about whom we must c o n s i d e r , "not t h a t t h e y surveyed

the world w i t h t h e eyes o f b u i l d i n g c o n t r a c t o r s , a mere means

l i k e any o t h e r , but t h a t t h e y never s t i r r e d from t h e f i e l d o f

t h e p o s s i b l e , however much they may have enlarged i t . " The

o n l y t h i n g d i s t u r b e d by such r e v o l u t i o n a r i e s as M a t i s s e and

T a l Coat, he c o n c l u d e s , " i s a c e r t a i n order on t h e p l a n e o f

the f e a s i b l e . " B. demands t h e t u r n i n g away i n d i s g u s t from

s u c h work "weary o f i t s puny e x p l o i t s , weary o f p r e t e n d i n g

t o be a b l e , o f b e i n g a b l e , o f d o i n g a l i t t l e b e t t e r t h e same
5
old t h i n g , o f going a l i t t l e f u r t h e r along the dreary road."

The second m a n i f e s t a t i o n o f t h e a c r o b a t i s p a i n t e r

no. 2 whom D. p r e s e n t s as he who has gone beyond t h e p l a n e

o f t h e f e a s i b l e and addressed h i m s e l f t o t h e v o i d . H i s con-

c e r n now i s w i t h " i n n e r emptiness, t h e prime c o n d i t i o n ,

according t o Chinese a e s t h e t i c s of t h e a r t o f p a i n t i n g . "

Here i s a p a i n t e r who senses t h e need t o e s t a b l i s h about

p a i n t i n g " t h e d a t a o f the problem t o be s o l v e d , t h e Problem

at l a s t . " B u t B. w i l l n o t be appeased. Though t h i s p a i n t e r

may y e a r n f o r a new s t r i p p e d a r t o f t h e v o i d , B. s t i l l detects

two maladies f a m i l i a c t o p r e v i o u s p a i n t i n g : "the malady o f

w a n t i n g t o know what t o do and the malady o f wanting t o be

 7

a b l e t o do i t . " But wanting t o express t h e v o i d i s merely

t o pass from one untenable p o s i t i o n t o another. Whatever i s

thus c a p a b l e o f b e i n g possessed i s h a r d l y t o be confused

with the void. Nor i s t h e h e l p l e s s n e s s i n f a c i n g t h e dilemma

o f e x p r e s s i o n s t a t e d on i t s own m e r i t s and f o r i t s own wake,

though i t i s "perhaps v e r y o c c a s i o n a l l y a d m i t t e d as s p i c e t o

t h e " e x p l o i t " i t j e o p a r d i s e d ... The reason i s d o u b t l e s s ,

among o t h e r s , t h a t i t ( t h e dilemma o f e x p r e s s i n g t h e v o i d )

c o n t a i n s i n i t s e l f t h e i m p o s s i b i l i t y o f statement."

B. t u r n s from t h e a r t o f p a i n t e r s no. 1 and 2 towards

h i s dream o f "an a r t u n r e s e n t f u l o f i t s i n s u p e r a b l e i n d i g e n c e

and t o o proud f o r t h e f a r c e o f g i v i n g and r e c e i v i n g . " He

prefers
The e x p r e s s i o n t h a t t h e r e i s n o t h i n g t o e x p r e s s ,
n o t h i n g w i t h which t o e x p r e s s , n o t h i n g from
which t o e x p r e s s , no power t o e x p r e s s , no d e s i r e
to express, together w i t h the o b l i g a t i o n to
express.6

B.'s p o s i t i o n as s t a t e d i n t h e f i r s t two d i a l o g u e s

i m p l i e s r e j e c t i o n o f G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t , which v e r y much s t r i v e s

f o r e x p r e s s i o n on t h e p l a n e o f t h e f e a s i b l e . Deliberately

and w i t h g r e a t courage (how e l s e t o bear up under i m p o s s i b l e

odds) G i a c o m e t t i has contended a g a i n s t t h e " i n s u p e r a b l e

i n d i g e n c e " o f h i s a r t and has attempted t o e x t r i c a t e from

the amorphous n a t u r e o f h i s m a t e r i a l a double f o r h i s v i s i o n

of the e x t e r i o r world. A g a i n s t doubt, a n g u i s h , d e s p a i r t h e

a r t i s t has s t a c k e d a l i f e t i m e o f o b s e s s i v e s t r i v i n g f o r know-

ledge o f what he sees: i n B.'s o p i n i o n , merely the " s t r a i n i n g

t o enlarge t h e statement o f a compromise."

I n t h e t h i r d d i a l o g u e B. proposes an escape from t h e

impossible. Escape i s p o s t u l a t e d on t h e a b i l i t y o f t h e a r t i s t
t o "accept a c e r t a i n s i t u a t i o n and t o consent t o a c e r t a i n
act."

The s i t u a t i o n i s t h a t o f him who i s h e l p l e s s ,

cannot a c t , i n t h e event cannot p a i n t , s i n c e
he i s o b l i g e d t o p a i n t . The a c t i s o f him
who, h e l p l e s s , u n a b l e t o a c t , a c t s , i n t h e
event p a i n t s , s i n c e he i s o b l i g e d t o p a i n t .

D. Why i s he o b l i g e d t o p a i n t ?
B. I don't know.
D. Why i s he h e l p l e s s t o p a i n t ?
B. Because t h e r e i s n o t h i n g t o p a i n t and
nothing t o paint with.

T h i s c o n c l u s i o n i s c o n t r a s t e d t o t h e assumption o f a l l p a i n t

i n g t h a t t h e domain o f t h e a r t i s t i s t h e domain o f t h e

f e a s i b l e ; c o n t r a s t e d t o t h e concern w i t h e x p r e s s i v e possibil

ity.

The much t o e x p r e s s , t h e l i t t l e t o express,

the a b i l i t y t o express much, t h e a b i l i t y
t o express l i t t l e , emerge i n the common
a n x i e t y t o express as much as p o s s i b l e , o r
as t r u l y as p o s s i b l e , o r as f i n e l y as
p o s s i b l e , t o t h e best o f one's a b i l i t y . 7

Kenner g i v e s us an i n k l i n g o f what B. may mean.

Shakespeare's powers o f e x p r e s s i o n , i t i s
1
s a f e t o remark, were i n f a l l i a b l y equal t o
h i s needs, c h i e f l y s i n c e what was needed t o
w r i t e Ha mlet was power o f e x p r e s s i o n . But
s e t Shakespeare t h e problem of w r i t i n g a
p l a y about t h e non-appearance o f h i s hero
( f o r whom two tramps a r e w a i t i n g ) , o r r e -
s t r i c t him t o f o u r c h a r a c t e r s , two l e g l e s s ,
 9
the t h i r d i m m o b i l i z e d , the f o u r t h dim, and
Shakespeare i n the course o f a t t a i n i n g him'
s e l f t o t h i s assignment would o f necessity-
a l l o w h i s v a s t a b i l i t y t o w i t h e r , cease
d e s c r i b i n g t h i s man's a r t and t h a t man's
scope, and r e l i n q u i s h the s a t i s f a c t i o n s
(such as he found them) of Prometheon
competence.8

The p r o o f o f such an a r t as B. advocates, b e r e f t of

o c c a s i o n , i s i n the n o v e l s and p l a y s o f Samuel B e c k e t t which

one by one have shed themselves of a l l o c c a s i o n s , of s u b j e c t s ,

o f o b j e c t s , o f r e l a t i o n s h i p s , "evading the e l a b o r a t e mysteries

o f c o g n i t i o n and of i n t e r a c t i o n between mind and hand."^

They a r e works o f r e s i g n a t i o n , t h e i r c h a r a c t e r s have d i v o r c e d

themselves from world and self. Thus t h e r e i s no p r e d i c e -

ment, no need t o ask why, how and what: a l l the impossible

ponderables w h i c h have always been the s u b j e c t s whether of

art or l i t e r a t u r e and which e i t h e r has f a i l e d t o answer, be-

ing capable o n l y of p r o v i d i n g l i m i t e d and t e n t a t i v e s o l u t i o n s .

B.'s summary statement on the h i s t o r y of p a i n t i n g : I t

i s the h i s t o r y of i t s attempts t o escape from

t h i s sense o f f a i l u r e , by means more a u t h e n t i c ,
more ample, l e s s e x c l u s i v e r e l a t i o n s between
r e p r e s e n t e r and r e p r e s e n t e e , i n a k i n d o f
t r o p i s m toward a l i g h t as t o the n a t u r e of
which the best o p i n i o n s c o n t i n u e t o v a r y , and
w i t h the Pythagorean t u r n , as though the
i r r a t i o n a l i t y o f p i were an o f f e n s e a g a i n s t
the d i e t y , not t o mention h i s c r e a t i o n . 1 0

P a i n t e r no. 3 w i l l be the f i r s t t o devulge t o out-

s i d e r s the dreaded Pythagorean s e c r e t of p i , o f the irra-

t i o n a l ; t h a t t h e d i a g o n a l of a square i s incommensurable

w i t h the side." T h i s a r t i s t i s the f i r s t t o admit t h a t t o be

 10

an a r t i s t i s t o f a i l as no o t h e r dare f a i l . Failure i s the

w o r l d i n which he works and t o s h r i n k from i t i s d e s e r t i o n

i n t o s e l f - d e c e p t i o n . D e p r i v e d o f t h e a b i l i t y , even t h e

remotest p o s s i b i l i t y , o f succeeding, the a r t i s t i s l e f t w i t h

his i g n o r a n c e and h i s impotence - and t h e need t o w r i t e o r

paint. Here f i n a l l y emerges t h a t second q u a l i t y o f o u r

c i r c u s imagery; t h e clown.

The clown e x p l o i t s impotence. Inching along the

d r e a r y r o a d o f t h e p o s s i b l e has proven f u t i l e . Perfection

i s a g o a l beyond r e a c h ; a n o t h e r m i n u s c u l e s t e p towards i t i s

a meaningless g e s t u r e w i t h i n t h e i n f i n i t y o f t h e cosmos. So,

says t h e clown, I cannot, I g i v e up. But he l i v e s and he

must go on, and t h e o n l y c o n t e n t l e f t around which he can

form h i s a c t i o n s i s h i s i n c a p a c i t y . To l i v e i s t o make

g e s t u r e s towards ends and, as such, t h e g e s t u r e s w i l l inevit-

a b l y f a i l ; but t h e g e s t u r e s , t h e pure a c t w i l l remain. The

act which f a i l s w i l l i t s e l f become t h e clown's s u b j e c t and

he w i l l e x p l o i t i t w i t h e x t r a v a g e n t v i r t u o s i t y . In a recent

N.F.B. s h o r t , The R a i l r o d d e r , t h e s t r o n g , e x p r e s s i o n l e s s

B u s t e r Keaton, c r o s s i n g t h e c o n t i n e n t i n a gas-powered speeder,

s i g h t s a f l i g h t o f ducks and p i t s h i m s e l f a g a i n s t n a t u r e . An

e x p e r i e n c e d h u n t e r , he camouflages h i s c a r w i t h branches and

a g a i n r o l l i n g a l o n g t h e t r a c k l o a d s h i s gun and s i n k s down,

i n c o n s p i c u o u s amongst t h e f o l i a g e . With t h e a i r o f a v e t e r a n

marksman he t a k e s aim, r e f l e c t s f o r a moment on t h e d e l i g h t o f

r o a s t i n g duck, p u l l s t h e t r i g g e r , and WHAM! The shot flattens

a g a i n s t t h e r o c k y c e i l i n g o f t h e t u n n e l which has suddenly

 11
passed over him, w h i l e h i s ears a r e deafened by t h e

r e v e r b e r a t i n g b l a s t o f t h e gun. But i s B u s t e r p e r t u r b e d ?

He merely p r e p a r e s the props f o r h i s next a c t i o n , which he

w i l l b l u n d e r as b a d l y . Such i s the a r t o f t h e clown.

Contained w i t h i n t h e images o f t h e two c i r c u s

c h a r a c t e r s - t h e a c r o b a t and t h e clown - a r e t h e two p o s s i b l e

v a r i e t i e s o f a r t : r e s p e c t i v e l y , t h a t which s t r i v e s t o express

the p o s s i b l e , and t h a t which c o n s i d e r s t h e p o s s i b l e but an:

i r r e l e v a n t speck w i t h i n the i n f i n i t e u n i v e r s e o f i m p o s s i b i l -

ity. The l a t t e r i s an a r t o f r e s i g n a t i o n which i s an a r t of

d o i n g , because i t must, n o t o f purpose. But r e s i g n e d a r t ,

for which t h e r e can be no w o r l d l y s u c c e s s , (and t h e w o r l d i s

a l l ) has two o u t l e t s , e i t h e r o f which i s a game, i n s i g n i f i c -

ant beyond t h e p l a y i n g i t s e l f . The f i r s t i s t h a t which B u s t e r

Keaton p l a y s , t h e performance o f a g e s t u r e f o r i t s own sake,

o b l i v i o u s t o the f a c t that i t w i l l f a i l . T h i s a l s o i s B.'s

game i n t h e d i a l o g u e s when he bows out i n d e f e a t a t the end

of t h e second d i a l o g u e ; overcome by D.'s r e b u t t a l o f h i s

arguments B. e x i t s weeping. A t t h e end o f t h e t h i r d d i a l o g u e

when asked t o complete h i s "number" he suddenly remembers

warmly, "Yes, y e s , I am m i s t a k e n , I am m i s t a k e n . " 1 1

The second o u t l e t of r e s i g n e d a r t i s the performance

of an a c t w i t h i n a c o m p l e t e l y c l o s e d system, where a l l t h e

v a r i a b l e s a r e g i v e n and under c o n s t a n t c o n t r o l so t h a t success

i s a s s u r e d - d e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t i t i s an i r r e l e v a n t s u c c e s s
y i e l d i n g nothing. M o l l o y , o f B e c k e t t ' s n o v e l devotes h i m s e l f
to t h e problem o f d e v e l o p i n g a system o f s u c k i n g s i x t e e n
 12

s t o n e s and p a s s i n g them t h r o u g h h i s f o u r p o c k e t s ( t h e two

p o c k e t s o f my t r o u s e r s and t h e two p o c k e t s o f my g r e a t coat)

i n such a manner as t o be a b s o l u t e l y c e r t a i n t h a t no stone

i s sucked more t h a n once w i t h i n t h e same c y c l e . F o r s i x pages

he d e l i b e r a t e s the ups and downs o f t h e q u e s t i o n , the various

s o l u t i o n s , and f i n a l l y admits t h a t deep down i t was a c t u a l l y

the same t o him whether he "sucked a d i f f e r e n t stone each

l 2

time o r always t h e same s t o n e , u n t i l t h e end o f t i m e . "

But f o r Giacometti a r t i s n e i t h e r pure g e s t u r e n o r

a s e l f - c o n t a i n e d game. He has d i s c o v e r e d the secret of the

i r r a t i o n a l i t y o f p i f o r h i s has pushed t o t h e l i m i t t h e

problem o f w o r k i n g w i t h t h e a r t o f t h e p o s s i b l e . But he does

not deny t h e p o s s i b l e , even i f he i s pushed t o t h e b r i n k o f

despair by t h e c o n s t a n t f e a r o f f a i l u r e under which he works.

He remains t h o r o u g h l y t h e a c r o b a t , f o r d e s p i t e h i s deep sense

o f i n c a p a c i t y and h i s awareness t h a t he can never a c h i e v e

more than " p a r t i a l o b j e c t " , he does n o t g i v e up. Curiously

he has s a i d a t one p o i n t " I ' d have made a b e t t e r clown t h a n

13
a p a i n t e r . I t would have been e a s i e r and f u n n i e r . " The

remark may c o n s t i t u t e a s o r t o f s e l f - r e v e l a t i o n , o r i t i s

perhaps m e r e l y a j e s t .

I f t h e a s s o c i a t i o n o f B e c k e t t and G i a c o m e t t i , and t h e

discussion of Giacometti w i t h i n terms suggested by B e c k e t t ' s

w r i t i n g , seem a r b i t r a r y , then we can a t l e a s t g i v e a partial

justification by b r i e f l y comparing background and d e v e l o p -

ment o f t h e two men. The number o f t h e i r s i m i l a r i t i e s i s

surprising. They a r e c o n t e m p o r a r i e s born w i t h i n t h e same

 13

semi-decade; b o t h grew up steeped i n the t r a d i t i o n o f t h e i r

own forms of a r t ; both found t h e i r way t o P a r i s t o become

i n v o l v e d i n the p r e v a i l i n g a r t i s t i c t r e n d s . D u r i n g the war

G i a c o m e t t i r e t i r e d t o h i s Swiss v i l l a g e , Stampa, t o work,while

B e c k e t t took up r e s i d e n c e i n Vauclus-e near A v i g n o n i n t h e

Unoccupied Zone t o w r i t e h i s n o v e l Watt. Both r e t u r n e d t o

P a r i s a f t e r the war t o produce t h e i r g r e a t work: G i a c o m e t t i

h i s s l e n d e r a t t e n u a t e d f i g u r e s ; B e c k e t t h i s T r i l o g y , Comment
C e s t and the p l a y s . But these a r e the s u p e r f i c i a l events

o f l i f e which i t i s not so s t a r t l i n g they s h o u l d h o l d i n

common. The remarkable q u a l i t y they share i s t h e i r obsession

throughout most o f t h e i r l i v e s w i t h a s i n g l e i d e a t o which

they devoted t h e i r e n t i r e e n e r g i e s t o the e x c l u s i o n of a l l

e l s e : G i a c o m e t t i t o the e x p r e s s i o n i n a r t of h i s unique

v i s i o n s o f the e x t e r i o r w o r l d ; B e c k e t t t o a v e r b a l e x p r e s s i o n

o f t h a t t o t a l h e l p l e s s n e s s of man i n t r y i n g t o f o r g e such

visions. T h e i r s i s a s i n g u l a r i t y o f purpose w h i c h never .

sways from i t s chosen p a t h d e s p i t e p u b l i c r e a c t i o n o r a c c l a i m .

T h i s d e v o t i o n t o cause i n t e r e s t s us doubly when we realize

t h a t b o t h a r t i s t s perform t h e i r s e e i n g , t h i n k i n g and working

w i t h i n a s i m i l a r s o c i a l - p h i l o s o p h i c a l context.

I t i s t r u e t h a t i t i s v e n t u r i n g on unsafe ground t o

attempt t o speak o f p h i l o s o p h i c a l c o n t e x t s w i t h i n which works

o f a r t a r e produced, o r o f i d e a s which a r t may espouse. In

f a c t the a r t i s t may o f t e n deny i f c o n f r o n t e d w i t h the i d e a

content o f h i s work t h a t he intended a n y t h i n g o f the s o r t .

B e c k e t t r e f u s e s t o comment on o r e x p l a i n h i s w r i t i n g .
 14
We have no e l u c i d a t i o n s t o o f f e r o f
m y s t e r i e s t h a t a r e a l l o f t h e i r making.
My work i s a m a t t e r o f fundamental
sounds (no j o k e i n t e n d e d ) made as f u l l y
as p o s s i b l e , and I accept r e s p o n s i b i l i t y
f o r n o t h i n g e l s e . I f people want t o
have head aches among the o v e r t o n e s , l e t
them. And p r o v i d e t h e i r own a s p i r i n .
Hamm as s t a t e d , and blow as s t a t e d , t o -
g e t h e r as s t a t e d , nec tecum nec s i n e t e ,
i n s u c h a p l a c e , and i n such a w o r l d ,
t h a t ' s a l l I can manage, more than I
c o u l d . 14

Nor do we ever c a t c h G i a c o m e t t i s p e a k i n g o f a r t i n terms

o t h e r than f o r m a l problems and accomplishments; whether he

i s s p e a k i n g o f museum a r t a t the l o u v r e w i t h P i e r r e S c h n e i d e r ,

o r of h i s own a r t t o i n t e r v i e w e r s and s i t t e r s . T h i s of course

i n no way d e n i e s a r e l a t i o n between t h e a r t i s t , h i s a r t , and

t h e a r t ' s c u l t u r a l , s o c i a l , h i s t o r i c a l s e t t i n g , nor the

d i s c u s s i o n of these. I t i s a l s o v e r y t r u e , t o quote A l a n

Bowness, t h a t "the w i d e r r e l e v a n c e o f what he i s d o i n g o f t e n

"I £

escapes the a r t i s t , as does i t s r e l a t i v e s i g n i f i c a n c e . "

T h i s i s not h i s concern, but o u r s . He submits the work t o

the w o r l d and what we make of i t i s , i n t h e l a s t r e s o r t ,

beyond h i s c o n t r o l . And K u r t Badt w r i t e s , "When p a i n t e r s

make pronouncements, they u s u a l l y d i s c u s s o n l y t e c h n i c a l

17
m a t t e r s , s i n c e they take s p i r i t u a l a s p e c t s f o r g r a n t e d . "

T h i s i n f a c t seems r e q u i s i t e f o r s u c c e s s f u l a r t , f o r we

tend t o be uneasy w i t h a work which has been d e l i b e r a t e l y

informed by an a r t i s t ' s p h i l o s o p h i c a l , moral o r p o l i t i c a l

i n t e n t i o n , f e e l i n g t h a t when a r t tends toward p o l e m i c s i t

l o o s e s i t s i n t e g r i t y as an a e s t h e t i c o b j e c t . Ideas which
 15

a r i s e as i n h e r e n t p r o d u c t s o f the a r t i s t ' s v i s i o n a r e l i k e l y

t o be more i n d i c a t i v e o f the contemporary c u l t u r a l situation.

C r i t i c s have w i t h o u t e x c e p t i o n r e l a t e d b o t h G i a c o m e t t i

and B e c k e t t t o E x i s t e n t i a l i s t p h i l o s o p h y . B e c k e t t has been

d i s c u s s e d i n terms o f K i e r k e g a a r d , Heidegger and Sartre.

G i a c o m e t t i i n c l u d e s among h i s f r i e n d s and interpreters,

S a r t r e and Jean Genet,and the two major monographs devoted

t o h i s work a s p i r e t o e l e v a t e him t o the rank o f an e x i s t e n -

tialist s a i n t (Dupin and B u c a r e l l i ) . Enough ground here t o

j u s t i f y a close association to a current philosophical

attitude. But i t i s f i n a l l y t o the raw m a t e r i a l o f t h e

works themselves t h a t we must t u r n f o r p r o o f t h a t a s s o c i a t i o n

o f B e c k e t t , G i a c o m e t t i , E x i s t e n t i a l i s m i s more t h a n a r b i t r a r y .

B e c k e t t ' s p l a y s may be seen as a r e n d e r i n g o f the

human predicament: a c t i v i t y i s f u t i l e , man i s constantly

t h w a r t e d by f o r c e s he cannot c o n t r o l ; ( A c t Without Words I ) ;

p a s s i v i t y i s f u t i l e , even i n r e s i g n a t i o n t o i n a c t i v i t y t h e

torment does not s u b s i d e ( A c t Without Words I I ) . For s a l v a -

t i o n from t h i s a w f u l predicament man w a i t s f o r God, but God

never comes ( W a i t i n g f o r G o d o t ) . Man s t i l l w a i t s because

hope g i v e s him p u r p o s e , and w a i t i n g a f t e r a l l i s something

t o do. Hope d i e s and man w a i t s f o r death but passes h i s time

w i t h p l a y i n g games; t h e y a r e something t o do (Happy Days).

Death comes, i t i s n e i t h e r darkness nor r e s t , but a s o r t o f

r e l i v i n g of l i f e (Play).

G i a c o m e t t i c o n f r o n t s us w i t h : s l i m , t a l l , erect,

g e s t u r e l e s s f i g u r e s o f men and women who e x i s t f o r us o n l y a t

 16
a d i s t a n c e , a c r o s s a space which i s f o r e v e r i m p e n e t r a b l e ;

p l a z a s o f w a l k i n g men, which w i l l never meet but i n s t e a d

pass by one a n o t h e r i n t o nowhere; p a i n t e d f i g u r e s shut from

our space by the double o r t r i p l e frames, d e p i c t e d isolated

i n deep, murky p e r s p e c t i v e space from which t h e r e i s no

escape; f a c e s , t h e i r l i f e c o n c e n t r a t e d i n t o t h a t d i r e c t b u r n -

i n g s t a r e which does not see us and which t e l l s us n o t h i n g .

Here i s adequate d a t a from b o t h w r i t e r and a r t i s t o f

man's fundamental sense o f estrangement and o f t h o s e t h r e e

human emotions which a r e the b a s i s o f t h a t predominant con-

temporary mood which r e c e i v e d i t s most p r e v a l e n t e x p r e s s i o n

i n postwar F r e n c h e x i s t e n t i a l i s m : abandonment, because men

has r e a l i z e d God's d e a t h ; a n g u i s h , when he i s thrown back on

h i s own r e s o u r c e s o f w i l l ; d e s p a i r , t h a t r e s u l t s when the

w i l l i s c o n f r o n t e d w i t h the i m p o s s i b i l i t y of a s i t u a t i o n

where n o t h i n g i s c e r t a i n e i t h e r w i t h se.lf or w i t h the o t h e r .

In response t o a common c u l t u r a l predicament t h e two a r t i s t s

r e s o r t e d t o almost o p p o s i t e approaches: B e c k e t t i n the d i r e c -

t i o n o f t h e clown who undermines e v e r y t h i n g t h a t appears

d e f i n i t e and p o s i t i v e ; G i a c o m e t t i i n t h e d i r e c t i o n of the

hero who must s t r i v e a t a l l c o s t and s a c r i f i c e t o e s t a b l i s h

what l i t t l e i s p o s i t i v e . I t i s t o the l a t t e r ' s approach t h a t

we now turn.
 CHAPTER I I

The image o f G i a c o m e t t i t h a t developed was e x a c t l y

t h a t o f a man who a g a i n s t a n g u i s h and f e a r o f f a i l u r e puts

t h a t minuscule f r a c t i o n of advancement i n h i s work, t h a t

e x t r a l i t t l e p i e c e of l e a r n i n g about h i s w o r l d ; though he

knows t h a t w i t h i n the i n f i n i t u d e o f q u e s t i o n s and answers i t

w i l l count f o r n o t h i n g . Some c r i t i c s began t o d e s c r i b e him

as the e x i s t e n t i a l i s t hero, and t h e two major monographs

devoted t o him which have been p u b l i s h e d t o d a t e , by Jaques

Dupin and Palma B u c a r e l l i , 1

t r e a t e d him as such. I n these

works G i a c o m e t t i i s d e p i c t e d as the e x i s t e n t i a l i s t a r t i s t

s t r u g g l i n g t o s o l v e the i m p o s s i b l e problem. He performs

c o u r a g e o u s l y an a c t i o n w h i c h i s m e a n i n g f u l o n l y i n i t s e l f

i n a u n i v e r s e i n which ends and e x p l a n a t i o n s a r e absurd.

(Do we not have G i a c o m e t t i ' s own word t h a t t h i s i s so?)

B e f o r e l a u n c h i n g i n t o a d e t a i l e d s t u d y of G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t

i t i s perhaps h e l p f u l t o s t o p t o examine a few falacies

t h a t these two c r i t i c a l works have p e r p e t r a t e d , p a r t i c u l a r l y

t h e i r tendency t o i s o l a t e G i a c o m e t t i from h i s Western a r t i s t i c

tradition.

B o t h Dupin and B u c a r e l l i have taken the cues f o r

t h e i r theses from two essays which S a r t r e has p u b l i s h e d on

Giacometti.5 S a r t r e b r i l l i a n t l y delineates Giacometti's

b a s i c a r t i s t i c problems: the o p p o s i t i o n o f the whole and the

 18
d e t a i l s w i t h i n the human f a c e ; h i s s t r u g g l e w i t h space; the

element of d i s t a n c e which f o r e v e r s e p a r a t e s a r t i s t from

model - the b a s i c f a c t o r o f G i a c o m e t t i ' s p e c u l i a r v i s i o n of

the e x t e r i o r w o r l d . Sartre's d i s c u s s i o n i s deeply rooted

i n h i s p h i l o s o p h i c a l thought, and h i s d i c t i o n i s t y p i c a l l y

e x i s t e n t i a l i s t i n i t s p r e d i l e c t i o n f o r the terms: v o i d ,

emptiness, s o l i t u d e , b e i n g , n o t h i n g n e s s ; the s c u l p t u r e s he

d i s c r i b e s as "muffled shouts r i s i n g t o the top of a mountain

and i n f o r m i n g the h e a r e r t h a t somewhere someone i s g r i e v i n g

or c a l l i n g f o r help."^ M. Dupin and S i g n o r a B u c a r e l l i are

f a i t h f u l d i s c i p l e s and S i g n o r a B u c a r e l l i acknowledges her

debt.

S a r t r e has w r i t t e n about G i a c o m e t t i , and so

has Genet; t h e r e f o r e G i a c o m e t t i has become
a t y p i c a l e x i s t e n t i a l i s t a r t i s t f o r the
audience. H i s r u f f l e d and unkempt h a i r ,
h i s forehead t r o u b l e d w i t h w r i n k l e s on such
a changeable countenance, worn-out p u l l -
o v e r s , s c a r f s , h i s appearing a t the D
Magots or a t the F l o r e a t i m p o s s i b l e
h o u r s , supper w i t h hard b o i l e d eggs s h e l l e d
by h i s l a r g e thumbs s t i l l covered w i t h c l a y
o r wax, a c a u s t i c t a l k , s u b t l e y e t of a d i s -
q u i e t i n g d i a l e c t i c i s m i n i t s seeming s i m p l e n e s s ,
complete the p o r t r a i t : by now G i a c o m e t t i i s a
character of

S i g n o r a B u c a r e l l i admits t h a t such a d e f i n i t i o n o f the artist

i s " r a t h e r g r o s s and i m p r e c i s e " , but n e v e r t h e l e s s maintains

t h a t "fundamentally t h e r e i s some t r u t h i n i t " , and i t does

i n f o r m the core of vher argument throughout, p a r t i c u l a r l y i n

the l y r i c a l c l o s i n g pages. The r e s u l t , a c c o r d i n g t o one

c r i t i c s , i s the s o r t of w r i t i n g " t h a t American c r i t i c s o f t e n

envy, and a t times t r y t o emulate: w r i t i n g i n which the

 19

symphonic r h e t o r i c o f t h e most p r e s t i g i o u s modern i d e a s

s o a r s i n t o t h e empyrean o f i n t e l l e c t u a l d i s c o u r s e w h i l e the

works o f a r t o s t e n s i b l y under a n a l y s i s remain c o m p a r a t i v e l y

earth-bound, u n d i s l o d g e d from t h e i r a r t i s t i c q u i d i t y and

almost modest i n t h e i r p h y s i c a l particularity."^ We quote

a t y p i c a l e x t r a c t from S i g n o r a B u c a r e l l i .

... from myth he t u r n e d t o dream, then from

dream he t u r n e d t o a m e l a n c h o l i c s q u a l i d ,
d e s o l a t e and m i s e r a b l e y e t d e e p l y p a t h e t i c a l
m e d i t a t i o n over t h e c o n d i t i o n o f the human
b e i n g . U n l i k e anybody e l s e , he has s e t h i s
problem on the o p p o s i t e terms o f "essence"
and " n o n - e n t i t y " , and has s o l v e d i t a c c o r d i n g
t o the t h e o r i e s o f S a r t r e , h i s g r e a t f r i e n d
and h i s most s u b t l e e x e g e t i s t , r e c o g n i z i n g
the presence o f the essence i n the i n n e r n o t h i n g -
ness, t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e d i s c o v e r y o f a d u l l
and d i s q u i e t i n g d i a l e c t i c s which no l o n g e r
assumes t h e essence as an unchangeable
o n t h o l o g i c a l t r u t h , but as a s u f f e r e d and
p i t i f u l r e c o v e r y o f every hour, o f every
minute o f o u r existence.1

The e s s e n t i a l problem w i t h t h e Dupin and B u c a r e l l i

monographs i s not so much t h a t t h e y a s s o c i a t e G i a c o m e t t i w i t h

e x i s t e n t i a l i s t thought, f o r t h a t i s f u n d a m e n t a l l y a v a l i d

association. I t i s r a t h e r t h a t t h e European c r i t i c s * approach,

i n s t e a d o f p e r f o r m i n g an a n a l y s i s i n terms o f a d i s i n t e r e s t e d

comparison between a r t and contemporary thought, a r e imposing

an i d e o l o g i c a l i n t e r p r e t a t i o n on the a r t . I n the preceding

quote from B u c a r e l l i we note t h a t G i a c o m e t t i i s s a i d t o have

s o l v e d h i s problem " a c c o r d i n g t o t h e t h e o r i e s o f S a r t r e " as

i f t h i s were a p r e c o n c e i v e d i n t e n t i o n o f t h e a r t i s t . Neither

G i a c o m e t t i ' s own statements, n o r B u c a r e l l i ' s o b s e r v a t i o n i n

 20
her opening paragraphs, t h a t t h e a r t i s t has "no t h e o r y i n

mind, no p r i n c i p l e t o s u p p o r t " , bear out such a c o n c l u s i o n .

I t r a t h e r seems t h a t S i g n o r a B u c a r e l l i has e x p l i c a t e d

Giacometti's a r t i s t i c problems i n S a r t r i a n terms i n order t o

a s s u r e t h a t t h e i r s o l u t i o n may be found w i t h i n t h e same

system.

I n i t s suspect assumptions and l y r i c a l i n t e r p r e t a t i o n

t h i s s o r t of c r i t i c i s m i s r e m i n i s c e n t of Sartre's introduc-

t i o n t o t h e G a l l i m a r d c o l l e c t e d works o f Jean Genet, a one

volume work which exceeds t h e l e n g t h o f t h e c o l l e c t e d works

themselves. The d i f f i c u l t y w i t h S a r t r e ' s S a i n t G:enet^ i s

t h a t w h i l e we a r e c o n f r o n t e d w i t h a b r i l l i a n t a n a l y s i s o f

the w r i t e r and h i s l i f e , r e l a t e d t o t h e works, overwhelmingly

e l u c i d a t e d according' t o e x i s t e n t i a l i s t p s y c h o a n a l y s i s , we

a r e n e v e r t h e l e s s , though we cannot deny the g e n i u s o f t h e

i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , d o u b t f u l as t o t h e r e l e v a n c e o f a l l t h i s t o t h e

works o f Jean Genet and t o the w r i t e r h i m s e l f . I t may v a l i d l y

be questioned how much t h e book i s a product o f t h e i m a g i n a t i v e

and f u t i l e g e n i u s o f S a r t r e ' s own mind. I t i s n o t , however,

t h a t S a r t r e o r Dupin o r B u c a r e l l i do n o t i l l u m i n a t e something

about t h e a r t o r l i t e r a t u r e under d i s c u s s i o n ; i t i s r a t h e r

t h a t t h e i r t e x t s , i n H i l t o n Kramer's wordsv " i l l u m i n a t e t h e

oeuvre t h e way a d i s p l a y o f f i n e works l i g h t s up a l a n d s c a p e .

C e r t a i n f e a t u r e s a r e glimpsed, b r i e f l y but d r a m a t i c a l l y , i n

the f l i c k e r i n g l i g h t , but one i s n e v e r i n any doubt t h a t i t

i s t h e d i s p l a y i t s e l f - n o t the l a n d s c a p e - upon which the

 21

p r i n c i p a l e n e r g i e s have been l a v i s h e d . "

Palma B u c a r e l l i ' s i s the more c o n c r e t e o f t h e two

monographs and r e l a t e s G i a c o m e t t i d i r e c t l y t o the p a i n t e r s

and s c u l p t o r s o f the t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y , whose m i l i e u the

a r t i s t has shared and under whose i n f l u e n c e he has l e a r n e d .

M. D u p i n , on the o t h e r hand, o f f e r s the f o l l o w i n g u n t e n a b l e

position:"His (Giacometti's) a t t i t u d e i s i n absolute contra-

d i c t i o n t o a l l the tendencies and e x p e r i m e n t s o f h i s time

and the t h e o r i e s which j u s t i f y them. He i s a l o n e i n h i s

c e n t u r y and a g a i n s t everyone c l i n g i n g t o h i s o b s e s s i o n ,
"11
a g a i n s t the c u r r e n t i n s p i t e o f h i m s e l f . This rather

gross o v e r - s i m p l i f i c a t i o n ignores Giacometti's close involve-

ment w i t h a l l t h e a r t i s t s and c u r r e n t s t h a t surrounded him:

B r a n c u s i , P i c a s s o , A r p , M i r o , L a u r e n s , Dada, S u r r e a l i s m ,

primitive art. A check i n t o h i s w r i t i n g s about c o n t e m p o r a r i e s

r e v e a l s the a f f i n i t y he f e l t towards t h e i r work; o f Laurens

he w r i t e s :
De c e s s c u l p t u r e s de Laurens on n'approche
jamais t o u t a. f a i t , i l y a t o u j o u r s un
espace de d i m e n s i o n i n d e f i n i s s a b l e q u i nous
en s e p a r e , c e t espace q u i entoure l a s c u l p t u r e
e t q u i e s t d e j a l a s c u l p t u r e meme. E t j e
r e t r o u v e 1'atmosphere dense e t l e g e r e de l a
clairiere. C'est l a meme s e n s a t i o n que j ' a i
eprouve'e souvent devant des e t r e s v i v a n t s ,
devant des t e t e s humaines s u r t o u t , l e sentiment
d'un espace-atmosphere q u i entoure immediatement
l e s e t r e s , l e s p e n e t r e , e s t deja. l ' e t r e l u i -
meme; l e s l i m i t e s e x a c t e s , l e s dimensions de
c e t e t r e deviennent i n d e f i n i s s a b l e s . La
s c u l p t u r e de Laurens e s t une des t r e s r a r e s q u i
rendent ce que j e r e s s e n s devant l a r e a l i t e
 22

v i v a n t e et par l a j e l a t r o u v e ressemblante
et c e t t e ressemblance e s t pour moi une des
r a i s o n s de 1*aimer.12

o f D e r a i n he w r i t e s :

Les qualite's de Derain. n e x i s t e n t qu'au-dela

1

du r a t a g e , de l'e'chec, de l a p e r d i t i o n p o s s i b l e ,
et j e ne c r o i s , i l me semble, que dans ces
q u a l i t e ' s - l a , au moins dans l ' a r t moderne - j e
veux d i r e , ( p e u t - e t r e ) depuis G i o t t o . 1 3

I t i s c l o s e r t o the t r u t h than M. Dupin's c o n j e c t u r e , t h a t

G i a c o m e t t i has a s s i m i l a t e d a l l the t e n d e n c i e s and experimenta-

t i o n s o f h i s time and adapted those he found r e l e v a n t to h i s

own purposes ."^

The monographs under d i s c u s s i o n s i m i l a r l y f a l l into

e r r o r by d e p i c t i n g G i a c o m e t t i as e x i s t i n g i n a complete

vacuum i n r e l a t i o n t o the t r a d i t i o n o f F r e n c h a r t . The p r o -

p o s i t i o n t h a t h i s i s an i s o l a t e d phenomena i s of course

absurd. I t would be d i f f i c u l t t o f i n d a n o t h e r a r t i s t w i t h

so profound a f a m i l i a r i t y w i t h and i n s i g h t i n t o t h e h i s t o r y

o f Western a r t from i t s p r i m i t i v e b e g i n n i n g s t o i t s contem-

porary manifestations. P i e r r e Schneider i n h i s a r t i c l e

"At t h e Louvre w i t h G i a c o m e t t i " evokes f o r us t h e a r t i s t ' s

powers t o see and p e n e t r a t e i n t o the masterworks o f our

t r a d i t i o n whatever be t h e i r age. G i a c o m e t t i muses on Cimabue's

" V i r g i n Surrounded by A n g e l s " a t the t o p o f the main s t a i r -

case.

T h i s i s the p a i n t i n g I used t o p r e f e r , t o f i n d the

t r u e s t . The b r u t e s ! They have put i t on the
s t a i r c a s e . They have e x p e l l e d i t from the Louvre.
 23

I t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o be t r u e r t o l i f e .
Here ... i t i s those Roman e x c a v a t i o n s
t h a t changed G i o t t o . ... Here! what c o u l d
be t r u e r , denser t h a n the hands? They
a r e more r e a l the Rembrandt's hands.
What depth.15

S c h n e i d e r r e l a t e s h i s e x p e r i e n c e i n s e e i n g the p a i n t i n g i n

G i a c o m e t t i ' s company: "Something p e c u l i a r now happens: I

f o l l o w G i a c o m e t t i ' s i n t e n s e gaze and the V i r g i n ' s hands seem,

t o b e g i n t o grow l a r g e r . Soon I see only them. Theygenerate

t h e v o i d around them.... We were l o o k i n g f o r a t h i n g

16

a s p e c t s ; what we u n e x p e c t e d l y came upon i s space's depth."

" I have j u s t about the whole Louvre s t o r e d i n my

mind", says G i a c o m e t t i ; "room by room, p a i n t i n g by painting".

Chaldea, Payum, Egypt, Byzanthium, T i n t o r e t t o , Le Wain,

Ce'zanne, e v e r y t h i n g . H i s a s s u r e d command o f the tradition

of Western a r t harks back t o h i s employment of the method

of c o p y i n g used by Western a r t i s t s s i n c e the R e n a i s s a n c e .

He has copied p r a c t i c a l l y everything t h a t has been done s i n c e

the b e g i n n i n g of a r t ; f i r s t from r e p r o d u c t i o n s , t h e n from

o r i g i n a l s d u r i n g h i s t r a v e l s to V e n i c e , Padua, A s s i s i , Rome,

and a t the L o u v r e . " I n t r y i n g t o copy a t h i n g , you see i t

better. I q u e s t i o n e d each work i n t u r n , i n t e n s e l y , a t length."

17

A r t he d e f i n e s as "a means t o see b e t t e r . " Only d u r i n g the

p e r i o d s when he d i d not q u e s t i o n r e a l i t y but r e t r e a t e d into

t h e w o r l d of memory and imagination d i d he stop g o i n g t o the

Louvre.

I t s h o u l d be unnecessary t o have t o s t r e s s t h a t a

man so aware of h i s t r a d i t i o n cannot escape i t s i n f l u e n c e .

 24

He i s t h e a c r o b a t who has c o p i e d what a l l p r e v i o u s a c r o b a t s

have done and now must add t o i t h i s own s m a l l c o n t r i b u t i o n .

A d e f i n i t i v e c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f G i a c o m e t t i c o n s e q u e n t l y must

t a k e i n t o account t h e t r a d i t i o n o u t o f which he has emerged

and a s c e r t a i n how he has expanded i t s f r o n t i e r s i n new and

unexpected d i r e c t i o n s . I f i t s t i l l be m a i n t a i n e d that

G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t i s one o f an extreme s i t u a t i o n , i t i s

perhaps because t h e t r a d i t i o n i t s e l f has f a l l e n i n t o so extreme

. . 18
a crisxs.

Though no attempt w i l l be made t o approach a d e f i n i t i v e

e v a l u a t i o n o f G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t , r e f e r e n c e s w i l l be made t o t h e

past i n o r d e r t o f i r m l y e s t a b l i s h t h e a r t i s t ' s p l a c e w i t h i n

the t r a d i t i o n . But o u r r e s e a r c h e s w i l l n o t r e a c h f a r back

beyond Cezanne, whom G i a c o m e t t i c i t e s as a major i n f l u e n c e .

In c o n n e c t i o n w i t h Cezanne and h i s c e n t u r y o u r concern will

c e n t r e on t h e problem o f ' r e a l i z i n g ' a work o f a r t - from

c i r c a 185 0 a s i g n i f i c a n t f a c t o r i n a r t c r i t i c i s m . The

widening chasm between t h e a r t i s t ' s v i s i o n and h i s c a p a c i t y

to r e a l i z e i t upon canvas o r i n s c u l p t u r e , which t h e n i n e t e e n t h

c e n t u r y began t o d i s c e r n , reaches i t s climactic point i n

G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t , i n which t h e s a t i s f a c t o r y r e a l i z a t i o n o f

v i s i o n has become i n h e r e n t l y i m p o s s i b l e ; i n which we a r e

brought t o t h e t h r e s h o l d o f t h e clown's a r t .
 CHAPTER I I I

The d i s c u s s i o n p r o p e r of G i a c o m e t t i commences by-

i n d i c a t i n g t h e extreme c r i s i s h i s a r t i s t i c p u r s u i t has f a l l e n

i n t o , and t h e n t r a c e s the o r i g i n s of t h i s c r i s i s t h r o u g h h i s

early years.

The contemporary a r t i s t , who, l i k e t h e a c r o b a t , wants

t o go a l i t t l e f u r t h e r towards p e r f e c t i n g h i s a r t - here t o

see b e t t e r - d a n g e r o u s l y r i s k s f a i l i n g . I n Ce'zanne's a r t i s t i c

s e a r c h , t h e g i v e and t a k e between man, canvas and n a t u r e

l i t t l e by l i t t l e c l o s e d t h e d i s p a r i t y between h i s v i s i o n o f

an e t e r n a l t r u t h i n t h e o r d e r l i n e s s o f n a t u r e and h i s

i n t e l l e c t u a l and t e c h n i c a l c a p a c i t y t o t r a n s l a t e h i s v i s i o n

i n t o p a i n t e r l y language. I f t o h i s d e a t h he s t i l l had not

a c h i e v e d f u l l r e a l i z a t i o n i n h i s work, he had t h e advantage

of t h e s t a b i l i t y o f an a b s o l u t e . This i s d e n i e d t o G i a c o m e t t i .

The r e s u l t o f h i s d i a l o g u e w i t h m a t e r i a l and model has l e d ,

t r u e , t o g r e a t e r knowledge, t o g r e a t e r t e c h n i c a l a b i l i t y , but

not towards c e r t a i n t y .

I n 1935 Giacometti thought t o do a few s t u d i e s from

nature, " j u s t enough t o understand t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f a

head, o f a whole f i g u r e , " so he took a model.

1
This study,

he expected, would take two weeks; he worked w i t h t h e model

a l l day from 1935 t o 1940. He w r i t e s :

N o t h i n g was as I had imagined. A head

( I q u i c k l y abandoned f i g u r e s , t h a t would
 have been too much) became f o r me an
o b j e c t c o m p l e t e l y unknown and without
d i m e n s i o n . Twice a y e a r I began two
heads, always the same ones, never complet-
i n g them, and I put my s t u d i e s a s i d e . 2

From the f i r s t time t h a t G i a c o m e t t i began t o do a head t o

his l a s t work the mystery as t o how t o reproduce a head never

ceased t o be. A t moments even l a t e i n h i s c a r e e r he would

u t t e r w i t h d e s p a i r i n h i s v o i c e t h a t he had g o t t e n no f u r t h e r

t h a n he was when he began as a boy. E v e n t u a l l y success o r

f a i l u r e became i r r e l e v a n t q u a n t i t i e s ; a l l t h a t mattered was

t h e s e n s a t i o n of w o r k i n g . To have accomplished something

was t o put a s i d e h i s work f o r the day and be a b l e t o go out-

s i d e and see r e a l i t y t o be j u s t a l i t t l e d i f f e r e n t . This

became the purpose o f a r t t o G i a c o m e t t i ; "even i f t h e p i c t u r e

has l i t t l e sense or i s d e s t r o y e d - I am the winner anyway.

I have won f o r m y s e l f a new s e n s a t i o n , a s e n s a t i o n I have

never known b e f o r e . " v

No aim i s expressed here of p r o d u c i n g p i c t u r e s and

s c u l p t u r e s which w i l l seduce the eye w i t h t h e i r beauty. What

m a t t e r s i s the attempt t o r e c o r d whatever the a r t i s t sees;

t h a t which, wherever he l o o k s , a s t o n i s h e s and s u r p r i s e s him,

though he may not know e x a c t l y what i t i s he sees. " I have

t h e i m p r e s s i o n or i l l u s i o n " , he w r i t e s , " t h a t I am making

p r o g r e s s every day. T h i s i s what s t i m u l a t e s me, as i f one

s h o u l d a t l a s t get t o the p o i n t of u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e s e c r e t

of l i f e . " ^ But always t h e achievement i s the r o p e w a l k e r s :

one more m i n i s c u l e s t e p a l o n g the d r e a r y road of t h e p o s s i b l e .

 27
B u t , he s a y s , "One c o n t i n u e s , knowing v e r y w e l l t h a t the

n e a r e s t one g e t s t o t h e ' t h i n g , the f u r t h e r i t moves away.

1

The d i s t a n c e between me and the model tends t o grow s t e a d i l y ;

the n e a r e r one g e t s , the f u r t h e r t h e t h i n g moves away. It

i s an e n d l e s s quest."

An a r t which proposes t o s e a r c h f o r the " s e c r e t o f

l i f e i s n e i t h e r c a s u a l n o r easy. On the c o n t r a r y , i f we be-

l i e v e the a r t i s t when he pronounces a purpose which n o r m a l l y

would be deemed b o t h p r e t e n t i o u s and presumptuous - and we

b e l i e v e G i a c o m e t t i and g r a n t h i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n s t o devote him-

s e l f t o so profound a quest - then we a r e c o n f r o n t e d w i t h

an a r t so s e r i o u s and committed t h a t i t t a k e s precedence over

a l l e l s e i n t h e a r t i s t ' s l i f e and becomes h i s l i f e . To p a i n t

and s c u l p t and t o l i v e b l e n d i n t o a s i n g l e a c t i o n . Again to

quote G i a c o m e t t i :

In a way i t i s r a t h e r abnormal i n s t e a d of
l i v i n g t o spend one's time t r y i n g t o copy a
head, every evening t o c o n f i n e a person t o
a c h a i r and t o do so f o r f i v e y e a r s , t r y i n g
to copy a person w i t h o u t s u c c e e d i n g , and t o
c o n t i n u e . T h i s i s no a c t i v i t y one c o u l d
c a l l e x a c t l y normal, i s i t ? One has t o b e l o n g
to a c e r t a i n s o c i e t y f o r i t t o be even
t o l e r a t e d , f o r i n o t h e r s i t c o u l d not be
t o l e r a t e d . I t i s an a c t i v i t y which i s of no
use t o s o c i e t y as a whole. I t i s a p u r e l y
i n d i v i d u a l s a t i s f a c t i o n . I n f a c t , as such
c o m p l e t e l y e g o t i s t i c a l and thus d i s p l e a s i n g .
Any work of a r t i s completed c o m p l e t e l y f o r no-
t h i n g . A l l time p a s s e s , so do a l l t h e g e n i u s e s ,
a l l t h e work, and i n the end, seen a g a i n s t the
A b s o l u t e , f o r n o t h i n g . Were i t not f o r t h a t
immediate s e n s a t i o n i n the p r e s e n t t h a t one
e x p e r i e n c e s as one t r i e s t o apprehend r e a l i t y .
The adventure, the g r e a t adventure i s every
day t o see something new emerge i n the same
 28

f a c e , and t h i s i s g r e a t e r than any journey

around the world.6

L i k e the young Ce'zanne, G i a c o m e t t i from the beginning

v i t a l i z e s h i s work w i t h s t r o n g , v i o l e n t p e r s o n a l emotions
and d e s i r e s . But Cezanne was t o d i s c o v e r t h a t o n l y by r i d d i n g
h i s a r t of i t s b l u n t p e r s o n a l i n t e n s i t y , and of h i s r o m a n t i c -
ism and l o v e of the i m p r e s s i v e and exuberant - i n o r d e r t o
f i n d a q u i e t i m p e r s o n a l and c l a s s i c a l s t y l e - c o u l d he ever
r e a l i z e i n h i s a r t t h a t v i s i o n which he had developed of
t h e u n i t y and oneness of n a t u r e . I n h i s l a t e r work the
a r t i s t ' s p e r s o n a l i t y i s withdrawn c o m p l e t e l y from h i s p a i n t -
i n g , even from the human body so t h a t i t too becomes merely
a form w i t h i n the e t e r n i t y of the n a t u r a l s e t t i n g . Giacometti,
on the o t h e r hand, shows no d e s i r e t o d e p e r s o n a l i z e h i s a r t ,
i t i s an e m o t i o n a l a r t t o the end. L a t e i n h i s c a r e e r he
p o i n t s t o a s c u l p t u r e of a dog. "That i s me," he says. "One
day I saw m y s e l f i n the s t r e e t j u s t l i k e t h a t . I was the
dog."^ U n l i k e Cezanne whose a r t e v e n t u a l l y became s u b j e c t e d
t o an e x t e r n a l i m p e r s o n a l m e t a p h y s i c a l law, G i a c o m e t t i con-
t i n u e s t o see a r t as a p e r s o n a l quest. His r e l a t i o n t o h i s
model i s always a r e l a t i o n between s u b j e c t s ; and subjects
can o n l y be understand t h r o u g h the a r t i s t ' s s e l f ; and the
s e l f i n t u r n i s o n l y d e f i n e d i n terms of r e l a t i o n s t o the
o t h e r , which i s the a r t i s t ' s model. A r t consequently becomes
a means f o r the s e a r c h f o r s e l f . The a r t i s t ' s own statement:
 29
Yes c e r t a i n l y , I do p i c t u r e s and s c u l p t u r e s .
I always d i d , from t h e f i r s t time I drew o r
p a i n t e d , t o denounce r e a l i t y , t o defend my-
s e l f , t o support m y s e l f , t o grow s t r o n g e r
i n o r d e r t o S e t t e r defend m y s e l f , t o s t r i k e
more f o r c e f u l l y , t o t a k e a h o l d , i n a l l
f i e l d s and i n a l l d i r e c t i o n s t o g a i n as much
ground as p o s s i b l e , t o p r o t e c t m y s e l f a g a i n s t
hunger, c o l d , d e a t h , t o be as f r e e as p o s s i b l e ,
f r e e - with- t h e means today which appear t o me
most s u i t e d - t o t r y t o understand b e t t e r ,
to understand b e t t e r so as t o be f r e e r , f r e e r
t o t h e f u l l e s t ; t o squander my t a l e n t f o o f u l l y
e x e r t m y s e l f i n my c r e a t i v e work, t o e x p e r i e n c e
a d v e n t u r e , t o d i s c o v e r new r e a l m s , t o f i g h t my
b a t t l e - f o r fun? f o r the t h r i l l ? - a b a t t l e
f o r t h e p l e a s u r e of l o s i n g o r winning.8

G i a c o m e t t i ' s c o n s i s t e n t f r u s t r a t i o n when t r y i n g t o

understand h i s model and i n a c h i e v i n g i t s ' l i k e n e s s * , as he

c a l l s i t , i n m a t e r i a l , and the depth of h i s p e r s o n a l and

e m o t i o n a l involvement a r e borne out by t h e h i s t o r y o f h i s

early years. Our i n t e r e s t h e r e , however, i s i n h i s a r t i n

i t s maturest e x p r e s s i o n , which o b v i a t e s the need, i f w i t h i n

the c o n t e x t o f t h i s paper o n l y , t o be o v e r l y obsessed w i t h

r o o t i n g out t h e a c t u a l f a c t s o f h i s h i s t o r y . Our emphasis

on h i s mature s p i r i t u a l a t t i t u d e d i r e c t s our a t t e n t i o n more

towards t h e a r t i s t ' s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f h i s p a s t .

The p r i m a r y s o u r c e o f b i o g r a p h i c a l d e t a i l s i s t h e

a u t o b i o g r a p h i c a l l e t t e r w r i t t e n t o P i e r r e M a t i s s e i n 1948.

I f approaching the l e t t e r w i t h a s c i e n t i f i c a l l y h i s t o r i c a l

a t t i t u d e we would h e s i t a t e more than a moment b e f o r e a c c e p t -

i n g i t s c o n t e n t s as f a c t . W r i t t e n i n r e t r o s p e c t , from t h e

p o i n t o f view o f G i a c o m e t t i ' s s p i r i t u a l and a r t i s t i c d e v e l o p -

ment i n 1948 t h e l e t t e r i s undoubtedly an o r d e r i n g o f h i s

 30
e x p e r i e n c e s seen from h i s present p o s i t i o n and i n t e r p r e t e d

accordingly. A historian interested to establish biographical

d e t a i l from which t o draw p r e c i s e c o n c l u s i o n s as t o the

development o f and i n f l u e n c e upon the a r t i s t ' s s t y l e would

have t o conduct more d i r e c t s t u d i e s . Nevertheless there are

important t r u t h s c o n t a i n e d i n a document which i n d i c a t e s the

a r t i s t ' s a t t i t u d e towards h i s d i r e c t i o n and achievement at.

the moment o f w r i t i n g . The e x p e r i e n c e s s e l e c t e d and the way

i n which they a r e remembered a r e those which loom important

t o t h e a r t i s t as a consequence of h i s present a c c o m p l i s h -

ments. And 1948 was a s i g n i f i c a n t moment i n G i a c o m e t t i ' s

c a r e e r ; he had by then become p a t e n t l y aware o f t h e i m p o s s i b l e

demands which h i s a r t was making.

q
We l e a r n from t h e l e t t e r t o P i e r r e M a t i s s e t h a t from

the v e r y b e g i n n i n g G i a c o m e t t i found i t d i f f i c u l t t o r e c o r d

what he saw. D u r i n g h i s s t a y i n Rome i n the v e r y e a r l y

t w e n t i e s he had begun two b u s t s . A f t e r s i x years o f doing

b u s t s from l i f e , a t home, and the E c o l e des Beaux-Arts and

the E c o l e des A r t s - e t - M e t i e r s , b o t h i n Geneva, a f t e r h a v i n g

f o r as l o n g c o p i e d p a i n t i n g s and s c u l p t u r e from r e p r o d u c t i o n s ,

T i n t o r e t t o s i n V e n i c e , G i o t t o s i n Padua, Cimabues i n A s s i s i ,

and many more, suddenly now, he r e c a l l s ; " f o r t h e f i r s t time

I c o u l d not f i n d my way. I was l o s t , e v e r y t h i n g escaped me,

t h e head of t h e model b e f o r e me became a c l o u d , vague and

undefined." The d i f f i c u l t y d i d not i n t h e l e a s t s u b s i d e when

G i a c o m e t t i entered B o u r d e l l e ' s s t u d i o a t the Academie de l a

Grand Chaumierein P a r i s . I t became i m p o s s i b l e t o grasp t h e

 31
e n t i r e f i g u r e ; "we were much"too c l o s e to the model, and i f

one began on a d e t a i l , a h e e l , the nose, t h e r e was no hope

of ever a c h i e v i n g the whole." Nor, he found, was i t any-

s i m p l e r t o a n a l y z e a d e t a i l f o r here e v e r y t h i n g as w e l l was

l o s t as the form d i s s o l v e d " i n t o g r a n u l e s moving over a deep

b l a c k v o i d ; t h e d i s t a n c e between one wing of the nose and

the o t h e r i s l i k e the Sahara, w i t h o u t end, n o t h i n g t o f i x

one's gaze upon, e v e r y t h i n g escapes.

I t i s not t o be supposed t h a t G i a c o m e t t i ' s difficulty

d u r i n g these years can be t r a c e d t o t e c h n i c a l incompetence.

I t was not i n a b i l i t y t o draw o r shape w i t h h i s hands t h a t

h i n d e r e d h i s t r a n s l a t i n g what he saw of the model onto paper

or i n t o s c u l p t u r e . Years of copying the masters, of l e a r n -

i n g how Raphael or T i n t o r e t t o or Rubens or Ingres would

d e p i c t the human body s h o u l d have s.urved as adequate a p p r e n t i c e -

s h i p t o p r o v i d e him w i t h s k i l l f o r d e p i c t i n g the model as /

had done t h e s e , the g r e a t e s t of h i s p r e d e c e s s o r s . I t was

p r e c i s e l y here, however, t h a t the d i f f i c u l t y l a y . Giacometti

had d i s c o v e r e d the d i v o r c e between c l a s s i c a l p r e s e n t a t i o n

and r e a l p e r c e p t i o n . The former c o u l d o n l y be a p a r t i a l

image of r e a l i t y , and t h a t i s f a l s e ; and a t o t a l expression

of r e a l i t y would by humanly i m p o s s i b l e . T o t a l r e a l i s m too,

consequently, i s impossible.

Faced w i t h the dilemma of wanting t o r e c o r d totally

and f a i t h f u l l y h i s p e r c e p t i o n and yet r e a l i z i n g t h a t such an

a c t i s i m p o s s i b l e the a r t i s t , a c c o r d i n g t o Dupin, i s l e f t

w i t h two a l t e r n a t i v e s , d i a m e t r i c a l l y opposed: The first is

 32
"to c a s t one's l o t w i t h t h e i m p o s s i b l e , t u r n one's back on
r e a l i t y and s u b s t i t u t e t h e imaginary as a f i e l d o f e x p e r i -
ence* t h e o t h e r ... i s an absurd and h e r o i c o b s t i n a c y i n
the p u r s u i t o f t h a t u n s e i z a b l e r e a l i t y . " 1 0
On B e c k e t t ' s
s c a l e then a l t e r n a t i v e s would b o t h f a l l w i t h i n t h e realm of
the p o s s i b l e i f on two d i f f e r e n t p l a n e s , and Dupin o v e r l o o k s
t h e o t h e r a l t e r n a t i v e o f t u r n i n g t o t h e i m p o s s i b l e and
a d m i t t i n g one's f a i l u r e b e f o r e i t . The 1920's however, were
not a p e r i o d when t h e l a t t e r would have o c c u r r e d as a s o l u t i o n .
F u t u r i s m , Dada and S u r r e a l i s m may have been d e s t r u c t i v e and
a n t i - a r t but t h e y were not r e s i g n e d o r d e f e a t i s t . Their
d e s t r u c t i o n r o s e from hate a g a i n s t a dead t r a d i t i o n ; b u t out
o f t h e i r hate grew v i t a l i t y and r e s o l u t i o n , and c o n f i d e n c e
t h a t l i f e c o u l d be b u i l t anew. I t was t h e avowed a i m of
B r e t o n t o change the w o r l d . One c o u l d be hard put t o d i s -
c o v e r a work o f a r t from t h e 1920's i n France comparable i n
s p i r i t t o W a i t i n g f o r Godot.

So when G i a c o m e t t i i n t h e mid-twenties d i d choose

the f i r s t o f t h e a l t e r n a t i v e s proposed by Dupin and turned
from working from t h e model and r e a l i t y t o t h e mind and the
i m a g i n a t i o n , i t was out o f d e f e a t t h a t he d i d s o ; b u t o n l y
out o f d e f e a t i n t h e realm o f t h e e x t e r i o r w o r l d . I t i s im-
p o s s i b l e t h a t a young a r t i s t i n P a r i s i n t h e e a r l y t w e n t i e s
s h o u l d n o t have been i n f u s e d w i t h some o f t h e v i g o r w i t h
which B r e t o n , Aragon and Soupault i n t h e i r j o u r n a l L a R e v o l u t i o n
S u r r e a l i s t e had embraced t h e w o r l d of t h e i r r a t i o n a l , imaginary
and f a n t a s t i c t u r n s o f mind. T h i s newly d i s c o v e r e d realm o f
 33

i n v e s t i g a t i o n which c e n t e r e d on t h e u n c o n s c i o u s was a v e s s e l

from which would be drawn new and e x c i t i n g t r u t h s about t h e

nature and e x i s t e n c e o f man which would embrace t h e r e a l t o

y i e l d t h e new a b s o l u t e knowledge o f t h e s u r r e a l . We can

surmise t h a t i t was w i t h a s p i r i t o f o p t i m i s m and e n t h u s i a s m

that Giacometti turned t o the imaginary, h o p e f u l o f new

t e r r i t o r y t o i n f u s e h i s a r t w i t h t r u t h s t h a t r e a l i t y had w i t h -

held.

Even s o , t h e r e j e c t i o n o f the r e a l was o n l y done w i t h

reluctance. While t u r n i n g from d i r e c t l y copying t h e model he

s t i l l hoped t o r e a l i z e a l i t t l e o f what he had seen i n h i s

11
s t u d i e s o f i t so "as a l a s t r e s o r t " he began t o work from

memory. " I t r i e d t o do what I c o u l d t o a v o i d t h i s c a t a s t r o p h e . " ,

Working i n terms o f mental c o n c e p t i o n led to f l i r t a t i o n with

c u r r e n t s t y l e s , B r a n c u s i and p a r t i c u l a r l y Cubism ("one

n e c e s s a r i l y had t o t o u c h i t " ) and t h e r e s u l t s he c o n s i d e r s t h e

c l o s e s t he had come t o h i s v i s i o n s o f r e a l i t y . S t i l l the v i s i o n

was fragmentary (."I s t i l l l a c k e d a sense o f t h e whole") and t h e

human body and f a c e remained i n t h e f o r e g r o u n d throughout h i s

ten years i n Babylonian c a p t i v i t y , as he d e s c r i b e d i t . Rather

than a r e l e a s e , G i a c o m e t t i ' s e x c u r s i o n i n t o S u r r e a l i s m seems t o

have been a p e r i o d o f imprisonment. Dupin d e s c r i b e s some o f

the q u a l i t y o f t h e y e a r s (though t h i s o f course i s inter-

p r e t a t i o n through h i n d s i g h t . )
 34

When he evokes t h e human f a c e , and t h i s i s

a l m o s t always t h e c a s e , i t i s t o t e l l
p a s s i o n a t e l y a g a i n and a g a i n h i s p o w e r l e s s n e s s
t o a t t a i n i t . A d e f e a t i s t a t t i t u d e , w i t h which
he t r i e s t o persuade h i m s e l f t o renounce
r e a l i t y without r e a l l y breaking with i t , but
which i s s t i l l p r e p a r i n g u n c o n s c i o u s l y , deep
w i t h i n him, t o r e t u r n t o t h e v i s i b l e w o r l d . 1

In the f i r s t t e n y e a r s h i s work i s h i g h l y f r a u g h t with

v i o l e n c e and e m o t i o n a l t e n s i o n . The u n d u l a t i n g gentle wave-like

h o r i z o n t a l s o f Femme Couchee Qui Reve a r e s t a b b e d by t h r e e

s l e n d e r prongs. Homme e t Femme suspends us i n t h a t infinitesimal

f r a c t i o n o f a moment b e f o r e a c a t a s t r o p h i c a c t o f v i o l e n c e . In

Main P r i s e a t w i s t o f the handle w i l l t e a r the thumb from t h e

hand, and i n F l e u r en Danger the bow i s bent, t h e s t r i n g t a u t ,

t r i g g e r e d f o r r e l e a s e t o shear the blossom from i t s stem. In

Femme Egorgee t h e v i o l e n c e has happened and t h e woman w r i t h e s i n

her death t h r o e s . The s c u l p t u r e s a r e f u l l o f i r r e s o l u b l e f e a r

for i n them the v i o l e n c e i s r u s h e d t o a c l i m a x where t h e

impending h o r r o r i s h e l d f i x e d , f o r e t e r n i t y a h o v e r i n g threat.

F e a r and danger are t r a n s f o r m e d i n t o an ominous non-

d i r e c t e d a n g u i s h , q u i e t and i n e x p l i c a b l e , i n P r o j e t pour une

p l a c e where s i x forms share a mutual i s o l a t i o n i n i s o l a t i o n ;

and i n C i r c u i t i n which a b a l l must t r a v e l i n i t s g r o o v e , f o r

an e t e r n i t y s e p a r a t e d from i t s r e s t i n g p l a c e . The mystery o f

t h e s e o b j e c t s and o f L ' o b j e t i n v i s i b l e i s a premonition o f the

f e e l i n g which he w i l l i n f u s e i n t o h i s post-war s c u l p t u r e s .

However t h e s e o b j e c t s may be admired as a e s t h e t i c

objects, Giacometti i n t h e end found them u n s a t i s f a c t o r y . As a

 35

c o n s t r u c t o r he was satisfied by the search f o r a b s t r a c t harmonies

and flawless structures; as a p o e t of the f a n t a s t i c he was

absorbed by t h e capture of f l e e t i n g dreams and unconscious

imagery and their revelation of the emotional life. Nevertheless,

the disparity between t h e s e o b j e c t s , which appeared more and more

u s e l e s s and g r a t u i t o u s , and life tormented him.

I saw anew t h e b o d i e s t h a t a t t r a c t e d me i n
r e a l i t y and t h e a b s t r a c t f o r m s w h i c h seemed
t o me t r u e i n s c u l p t u r e b u t I wanted t o
create the former without l o s i n g the l a t t e r ,
very b r i e f l y put.13

In 1933/34- t h e f i g u r e begins to return. Nu and Homme Q u i M a r c h e

partake o f the t a l l slenderness of h i s l a t e r s c u l p t u r e , but are

still products of the i m a g i n a t i o n with o n l y a tenuous suggestion

of reality. E v e n t u a l l y he felt t h e need t o do one o r two studies

from n a t u r e , "just enough t o u n d e r s t a n d the c o n s t r u c t i o n of a

h e a d , o f a whole f i g u r e V - two weeks' work he s u p p o s e d , so i n

1935 he took a model. The results are legend: he worked with

t h e model a l l day every day f o r ten years.

During the last part of t h i s ten year period, during

the Occupation, Simone de B e a u v o i r had her first encounter with

G i a c o m e t t i , who recalled f o r her h i s experiences i n the middle

1U

thirties. D u r i n g two o r t h r e e y e a r s he had become convinced

that the S u r r e a l i s t method, t h o u g h i t p r o d u c e d work w h i c h

appealed t o B r e t o n and his friends, was getting him nowhere; he

wanted t o r e t u r n t o what he regarded as c o n t e m p o r a r y s c u l p t u r e ' s

real problem - "the r e - c r e a t i o n o f t h e human f a c e . " Breton

apparently was shocked by t h i s a s s e r t i o n and exclaimed,

"Everyone knows what a head i s ! " , a remark which G i a c o m e t t i in

t u r n found somewhat s h o c k i n g when, i n h i s o p i n i o n , no one had

y e t succeeded i n m o d e l l i n g or p o r t r a y i n g a v a l i d representation

of the human countenance: "the whole t h i n g had t o be started

from s c r a t c h . " Giacometti was s u b s e q u e n t l y e x p e l l e d from the

S u r r e a l i s t movement. Simone de B e a u v o i r c o n t i n u e s her account:

A f a c e , he t o l d us, i s an i n d i v i s i b l e whole, a
m e a n i n g f u l and e x p r e s s i v e u n i t y , b u t t h e i n e r t
m a t e r i a l o f the a r t i s t , whether m a r b l e , b r o n z e ,
o r c l a y i s , on the c o n t r a r y , c a p a b l e of
i n f i n i t e s u b d i v i s i o n - each l i t t l e s e p a r a t e
b i t c o n t r a d i c t s and d e s t r o y s the o v e r - a l l
p a t t e r n by the f a c t o f i t s i s o l a t i o n . ! 5

The problem has been s t a t e d - "the r e c r e a t i o n of the

human f a c e " - as have the n e c e s s a r y terms w i t h i n which a

s o l u t i o n must be found: the i n d i v i s i b l e u n i t y o f the human f a c e

and the o p p o s i t i o n of the m a t e r i a l w i t h which i t must be re-

created. For the next t h i r t y y e a r s G i a c o m e t t i w i l l struggle wi

f a n a t i c a l obsession to f i n d i t s s o l u t i o n .
 CHAPTER IV

G i a c o m e t t i s a r t i s t i c problem r e v o l v e s around two

1

c o n c e p t s : The f i r s t i s t h e a c t o f s e e i n g ( a r t i s a "means t o

see b e t t e r " ) f o r what appears on t h e canvas must be a d i r e c t

product o f the a r t i s t ' s v i s i o n . The second i s t h e q u a l i t y o f

resemblance o r l i k e n e s s , which t h e a r t i s t i c work must p o s s e s s

1

i f i t i s t o be a p r o d u c t o f v i s i o n . G i a c o m e t t i admires

l i k e n e s s i n Laurens* s c u l p t u r e because t h e l a t t e r arouses t h e

same r a r e e x p e r i e n c e as does " l a r e a l i t e v i v a n t e " , 2 and i t i s

I I

by n o t b e i n g a b l e t o a c h i e v e l i k e n e s s t h a t G i a c o m e t t i f a i l s i n

his a r t i s t i c pursuit. But t h e s e concepts r e q u i r e a more

precise definition.

G i a c o m e t t i speaks o f l i k e n e s s i n r e f e r e n c e t o f i g u r e s

he was p r o d u c i n g i n t h e e a r l y f o r t i e s a f t e r h a v i n g r e t u r n e d t o

w o r k i n g from memory i n o r d e r t o summarize what he had l e a r n e d

from s t u d y i n g t h e model. "But wanting t o c r e a t e from memory

what I had seen, t o my t e r r o r t h e s c u l p t u r e s became s m a l l e r

3

and s m a l l e r , they had a l i k e n e s s o n l y when t h e y were s m a l l . "

The s c a l e r e v o l t e d him, so p r e s e n t l y he s e t o u t t o produce

larger figures. But t h e s e as w e l l seemed f a l s e and i n v a r i a b l y

the s m a l l e r t h e y became t h e more t r u t h t h e y seemed t o have.

L a t e r t h r o u g h drawing he d i d a r r i v e a t l a r g e r f i g u r e s , but

t h i s time t o h i s s u r p r i s e "they a c h i e v e d l i k e n e s s o n l y when

t a l l and s l e n d e r . " L i k e n e s s , t h e n , i s n o t some e a s i l y determined

r e l a t i o n s h i p between model and s c u l p t u r e o r p i c t u r e . It i sa

q u a l i t y which i s n e i t h e r p r e - d e t e r m i n e d n o r p r e - i m a g i n e d , but
 38

one which a c h i e v e s r e a l i z a t i o n as the work t a k e s shape, and

then s u r p r i s e s the a r t i s t w i t h i t s a s p e c t s , which do not

n e c e s s a r i l y correspond to h i s expectations. But whatever

s u b t l e t i e s may o c c u r between the achievement o f l i k e n e s s and

i t s s o u r c e , i t s source i s always i n what the a r t i s t sees.

Likeness consequently i s not e x p r e s s i o n i n t h e sense

o f an attempt t o convey o r m a n i f e s t a g i v e n emotion about the

human f i g u r e . Giacometti's s t r i p p e d , scarred, hollow-eyed

emaciates are i n no d i r e c t way m i d - t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y counter-

p a r t s o f Munch's a n g s t - r i d d e n f i g u r e s of some f i f t y years

earlier. The r e l a t i o n o f G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t t o t h e e x t e r i o r

w o r l d i s much more d i r e c t . I t i s a copy of what i s ; o r , more

p r e c i s e l y , i t i s the a r t i s t ' s v i s i o n (and t h i s not meant i n

any m y s t i c a l way) o f what i s out t h e r e beyond h i s sense organs

- and as such i t s t r i v e s t o resemble r e a l i t y .

G i a c o m e t t i , however, cannot be c o n s i d e r e d a r e a l i s t .

I t i s a s m a l l p o i n t , perhaps, but an i m p o r t a n t one, t h a t the

term " r e a l i s m " has come t o i n c o r p o r a t e a c e r t a i n genre o f

r e a l i t y which o f t e n resembles r e a l i t y v e r y l i t t l e . " I I s'agit

t o u j o u r s d'un r e a l i s m e c o n v e n t i o n n e l , q u i n'est que

l'academisme.Originally t h e r e a l i s t s thought t r u t h was to

omit the s u b j e c t i v e from the r e p r o d u c t i o n o f n a t u r e and

d e s c r i b e what they saw w i t h o u t comment. T h i s i s how Courbet

describes r e a l i s m i n h i s "Manifeste 1861. 1,5

But soon the

q u e s t i o n o f what e x a c t l y n a t u r e was had u n a v o i d a b l y t o be r a i s e d

 39

f o r w i t h i n t h e next h a l f c e n t u r y i n p a i n t i n g n a t u r e came t o

mean a whole number o f t h i n g s . I t could r e f e r t o the

s i m p l i c i t y o f r u r a l o r lower c l a s s l i f e , o r t o t h a t seedy p a r t

of t h e urban w o r l d which t h e average bourgeois preferred to

overlook. Nature c o u l d mean t h e p h y s i c a l s u r f a c e o f o b j e c t s

and t h e i r i r i d e s c e n c e ; i t c o u l d be o r g a n i z e d and a r r a n g e d into

patterns o r recorded i n i t s irregularity. In the f i n a l a n a l y s i s ,

the r e a l i s t s , and a f t e r them t h e i m p r e s s i o n i s t s , c o n c e i v e d o f

t h a t p a r t o f t h e n a t u r a l w o r l d which was t h e s u b j e c t f o r a r t

as some form o f s u r f a c e q u a l i t y . By t h e time t h a t Giacometti

began t o p a i n t r e a l i s m had come t o mean t h a t which i s e a s i l y

r e c o g n i z e d , t h a t which r e p r e s e n t s e x t e r i o r r e a l i t y i n t h e most

b a n a l manner.

And today i f asked t o i d e n t i f y a r e a l i s t r e p r e s e n t a t i o n

o f a woman, most people would choose a Bouguereau o v e r a

Cezanne, and most c e r t a i n l y over a G i a c o m e t t i . I n speaking o f

the r e l a t i o n between t h e resemblance a t t r i b u t e d t o r e a l i s m and

the e x t e r i o r w o r l d , G i a c o m e t t i says:

J ' a i des amis q u i p r e t e n d a i e n t a i m e r P i c a s s o ,

parce q u ' i l ne f a i t pas " r e s s e m b l a n t " . Les
memes a f f i r m a i e n t cependant q u ' i l s v o y a i e n t
l a r e a l i t e comme Bouguereau. E t i l s v o u l a i e n t
absolument me f a i r e d i r e que c ' e s t l a meme
chose pour moi. S i c'etait vrai, jeprefererais
Bouguereau a P i c a s s o ou a Cezanne, p u i s q u e ce
q u i m'inte'resse dans t o u t e s l e s p e i n t u r e s , c'e'st
l a ressemblance: ce q u i me f a i t d e c o u v r i r un peu
l e monde e x t e r i e u r ! ^

He p o i n t s out t h a t o f a l l t h e p i c t u r e s he has seen,

the ones which seemed most t r u e t o h i s s e n s a t i o n s o f r e a l i t y

 40

were c e r t a i n E g y p t i a n p a i n t i n g s o f t r e e s , which he t o o , as

anyone would, thought t o o s t y l i z e d f o r such a c l a i m t o be

f e a s i b l e u n t i l he drew c o p i e s o f them. The s e a r c h f o r l i k e n e s s

always p u l l s him back t o t h e a c t u a l e x p e r i e n c e s o f d r a w i n g ,

p a i n t i n g and s c u l p t i n g , which a r e t h e o n l y v a l i d methods o f

r e s e a r c h f o r s e e i n g r e a l i t y more p r e c i s e l y . But i t i s very

d i f f i c u l t t o see.

You remember t h e b i g B a t h e r s o f Cezanne, where

one o f t-he heads i s almost a l i n e o f f i n t h e
d i s t a n c e - fades t o n o t h i n g ? Or h i s p o r t r a i t
The Boy i n t h e Red W a i s t c o a t ? People say t h e
boy's arm i s t o o l o n g , but t h a t ' s n o t t r u e .
On t h e c o n t r a r y , i t ' s v e r y a c c u r a t e , not a t
a l l exaggerated. I t ' s j u s t t h a t we're so i n
the h a b i t o f l o o k i n g a t t h i n g s from t h e view
p o i n t o f c l a s s i c a l a r t and i t s i d e a l i z e d forms
t h a t we don't see anymore.7

In o r d e r t o approach l i k e n e s s i n a r t i t i s e s s e n t i a l

to l e a r n t o see f r e e o f c o n v e n t i o n s : t o see a female f i g u r e ,

not a Bouguereau; t o see a l a n d s c a p e , not a P i s a r r o . This

was t h e t r u t h G i a c o m e t t i d i s c o v e r e d w h i l e working from t h e

model i n B o u r d e l l e ' s s t u d i o , o r e a r l i e r when under, h i s f a t h e r ' s

d i r e c t i o n he would draw a s t i l l l i f e o f f r u i t , o n l y t o d i s c o v e r

t h a t t h e image o f t h e f r u i t appeared minute i n s p i t e o f h i s

e f f o r t s t o draw i t " l i f e size". This p e c u l i a r i t y of v i s i o n

which informed h i s work from h i s youth i n l a t e r y e a r s would

command even h i s way o f s e e i n g an o r d i n a r y e x p e r i e n c e . "When

I am o u t s i d e a c a f e and see people p a s s i n g on t h e o p p o s i t e

pavement, I see them v e r y s m a l l . " I n 1945, a f t e r t h e t e n y e a r s

 41

o f c o n c e n t r a t e d study o f the model, h i s way o f s e e i n g reached a

climax. For t h e f i r s t time he n o t i c e d a profound schism between

h i s v i s i o n i n t h e s t r e e t and p h o t o g r a p h i c or cinematic v i s i o n .

U n t i l t h a t day he went r e g u l a r l y t o t h e cinema and would emerge

a g a i n i n t o t h e s t r e e t and n o t i c e n o , d i f f e r e n c e between t h e

e x t e r i o r w o r l d and what happened on t h e s c r e e n . One was a

continuation o f the other. Then one day:

au l i e u de v o i r un personnage sur l ' e c r a n , j ' a i

vu des vagues taches n o i r e s q u i b o u g e a i e n t .
J ' a i regarde' l e s v o i s i n s e t , du coup, j e l e s a i
vus comme j e ne l e s a v a i s j a m a i s vus. Le
nouveau n ' e t a i t pas ce q u i s'est passe s u r
l'e'cran: c'e'tait ceux q u i e t a i e n t a c o t e de m o i .
Ce j o u r - l a , j e me s o u v i e n s t r e s exactement, en
s o r t a n t b o u l e v a r d du Montparnasse, d * a v o i r
regarde l e b o u l e v a r d comme j e ne 1'avais j a m a i s
vu. Tout e t a i t a u t r e , e t l a p r d f o n d e u r e t l e s
o b j e t s , e t l e s c o u l e u r s , e t l e s i l e n c e ...
Tout me s e m b l a i t a u t r e , e t t o u t a f a i t nouveau.
... l a r e a l i t e ' s ' e s t r e v a l o r i s e d , pour moi, du
t o u t au t o u t ; e l l e d e v e n a i t l ' i n c o n n u , m a i s , en
meme temps, un inconnu m e r v e i l l e u x . 9

With t h e r e a l i z a t i o n o f h i s t r a n s f o r m e d v i s i o n , each day he

became more amazed a t t h e i s o l a t i o n o f t h i n g s , t h e i r smallness

and d i s t a n c e , o r t h e i r s i z e when c l o s e ; how they loomed up a s

g i g a n t i c forms b l o c k i n g h i s whole f i e l d o f v i s i o n .

Douglas H a l l would have i t t h a t G i a c o m e t t i ' s vision

i s abnormal, f o r i n normal v i s i o n t h e a c t u a l image on t h e

r e t i n a i s compensated f o r and a d j u s t e d by many d i f f e r e n t factors.

I n G i a c o m e t t i t h i s mechanism seems t o be e r r a t i c i n i t s
10
behavior. S a r t r e understands G i a c o m e t t i ' s v i s i o n i n terms o f
 42

his own personal experiences when he was f i r s t subjected to

normal l i v i n g space a f t e r a l o n g p e r i o d of imprisonment i n a

c o n c e n t r a t i o n camp, where bodies were packed so c l o s e l y

t o g e t h e r t h a t one f o r g o t t h e d i s t i n c t i o n between one's own

l i m b s and those o f a n e i g h b o r . S a r t r e was overcome w i t h

a g o r a p h o b i a and f e l t l o s t i n the d e s e r t s o f space and the

d i s t a n c e which s e p a r a t e d him from f e l l o w beings i n s o - c a l l e d

normal e x i s t e n c e . Giacometti's v i s i o n consequently becomes

a s s o c i a t e d w i t h the sense o f a l i e n a t i o n and s e p a r a t i o n , which

i s the scourge o f post-war e x i s t e n t i a l i s t man.-*" These a r e 1

e x p l a n a t i o n s not w i t h o u t t r u t h , but t h e r e i s yet. another way

o f l o o k i n g a t G i a c o m e t t i ' s v i s i o n : i t i s , to quote M i c h e l

L e i r i s , seeing without "the s c r e e n o f c u l t u r e i n t e r p o s e d

12
between eye and o b j e c t . "

The c a p a c i t y f o r v i s i o n t o l e t go o f i t s c o n d i t i o n e d

h a b i t s o f o r g a n i z i n g sense p e r c e p t i o n i n p r d e r to see i n an

unbiased manner i s e x e m p l i f i e d by a c u r i o u s experience

G i a c o m e t t i had w h i l e Isaku Y a n a i h a r a was p o s i n g f o r him.

During a long p e r i o d of concentrated study o f the model Genet

one day came i n t o the s t u d i o . G i a c o m e t t i r e c a l l s t h a t Genet

l o o k e d v e r y s t r a n g e , " w i t h such a r o u n d , v e r y r o s y f a c e and

puffed l i p s . " Diego e n t e r e d and the a r t i s t had the same

f e e l i n g about him, h i s f a c e was v e r y r o s y and round and h i s

l i p s puffy. Suddenly he r e a l i z e d why. He had s t u d i e d Yanaihara s 1

f a c e f o r so l o n g t h a t i t had become a norm and f o r a moment he

was s e e i n g Diego and Genet as they l o o k e d t o Y a n a i h a r a . "I

 43

c o u l d see w h i t e people the way t h e y must l o o k t o p e o p l e who

aren't w h i t e . " 1 3
T h i s i s the p e c u l i a r i t y o f Giacometti's

v i s i o n , h i s c a p a c i t y t o f r e e h i s s e e i n g from t h e conditioned,

t r a d i t i o n a l c a t a g o r i e s , and h i s a b i l i t y to s h i f t h i s s e e i n g to

new u n a n t i c i p a t e d p o i n t s o f view.. Such c l a r i t y o f v i s i o n has

n e c e s s i t a t e d the development of a r i g i d r e s e a r c h procedure

w h i c h , o p e r a t i n g i n an i m p a r t i a l frame of mind, would g i v e

e q u a l v a l u e t o the whole range o f s e n s a t i o n . A mind c o n d i t i o n e d

by t r a d i t i o n , on the o t h e r hand, would tend t o s e l e c t from

s e n s a t i o n t h a t which would r e i n f o r c e p r e s e n t l y e x i s t i n g

patterns of perception. To p o s t u l a t e f o r G i a c o m e t t i a vision

o f t o t a l p u r i t y , however, i s not the whole s t o r y .

We n o t i c e , f o r i n s t a n c e , the s i m i l a r i t y o f Giacometti's

attenuated s c u l p t u r e s to the t a l l , slender, graceful figures

o f Dahomey o r E t r u s c i a ; and t h e s i m i l a r i t y i n r i g i d i t y o f pose

14
and d i r e c t n e s s o f gaze t o the Kuro f i g u r e s of A r c h a i c Greece.

At t i m e s i t i s as i f the f i v e o r s i x c e n t u r i e s o f R e n a i s s a n c e

t r a d i t i o n a l c o n c e p t u a l i z a t i o n and form as n u r t u r e d in Classical

Greece has been s t r i p p e d away t o a l l o w G i a c o m e t t i t o see man

as he was seen by a r c h a i c and p r i m i t i v e man. Perhaps what we

have c o n v e n t i o n a l l y l o o k e d a t as s t y l e and a b s t r a c t i o n were

r e a l l y c l e a r e r ways of s e e i n g . Giacometti t e s t i f i e s to something

of the s o r t when he s a y s , "What I l o v e i n the p a s t i s e x a c t l y

what i s most a l i k e t o what I see, t o my way of seeing,

Chaldean s c u l p t u r e , f o r i n s t a n c e ; and I p r e f e r a thousand t i m e s

Byzantine t o Western p a i n t i n g . " 1 5

At f i r s t glance, there i s a
 44

c o n t r a d i c t i o n here. L i k e n e s s r e s u l t s from the a r t i s t ' s vision,

which i s o r d i n a r y p e r c e p t i o n sharpened t o a b s o l u t e p u r i t y ,

f r e e o f t r a d i t i o n and p r e c o n c e p t i o n . Yet the a r t which i s most

l i k e what G i a c o m e t t i sees, E g y p t i a n , Chaldean, A r c h a i c , e t c .

are " s t y l e s " i n a r t h i s t o r y , and s t y l e i m p l i e s the n e g a t i o n o f

o r d i n a r y p e r c e p t i o n i n favor of a r b i t r a r y i n v e n t i o n , s u b j e c t i v e

i m a g i n a t i o n and n o n - i m i t a t i v e c r e a t i o n . G i a c o m e t t i s o l v e s the

dilemma n i c e l y . On a t o u r o f the Louvre w i t h the artist,

P i e r r e S c h n e i d e r remarks t h a t they are coming t o the 'grandes

machines' o f D a v i d , Gros and company. "One step f u r t h e r , and

we s h a l l be w i t h r e a l i s m . You must be happy." " R e a l i s m i s

balderdash ...", replies Giacometti. "Those who came c l o s e s t

t o the v i s i o n one has o f t h i n g s are those which a r t h i s t o r y

c a l l s the 'great s t y l e s . ' " I t i s the works o f the past which

g e n e r a l l y are c o n s i d e r e d most d i s t a n t from r e a l i s m t h a t he

r e g a r d s as c l o s e s t t o i t . Anyone o f us resembles a s c u l p t u r e

from Egypt o r the e x o t i c a r t o f A f r i c a and Oceania more than

a n y t h i n g done s i n c e . Yet people l i k e t h e former because t h e y

c o n s i d e r them w h o l l y i n v e n t e d and because these works negate

the e x t e r n a l w o r l d , the b a n a l view o f r e a l i t y , whereas they

d e s p i s e an academic Graeco-Roman head because i t i s ' l i f e -

like. 1
G i a c o m e t t i ' s reasons f o r p r e f e r r i n g a n c i e n t and

p r i m i t i v e a r t over a ' c o n v e n t i o n a l ' head are j u s t the o p p o s i t e :

The most f a i t h f u l ' v i s i o n ' i s t h a t p r o v i d e d by

' s t y l e ' . 1 6 of c o u r s e , nobody ever p l a n s a s t y l e .
For the E g y p t i a n s , t h i s would have been meaning-
less. They t r a n s l a t e d t h e i r v i s i o n o f r e a l i t y
 45

as c l o s e l y as p o s s i b l e . For them i t was a

r e l i g i o u s n e c e s s i t y . I t was a m a t t e r o f
c r e a t i n g doubles as near as p o s s i b l e t o human
beings. There e x i s t s an a n c i e n t t e x t , a k i n d
of poem, which t a l k s about s c u l p t u r e s so t r u e
t h a t they seem l i v i n g and t h a t they are a b l e t o
f r i g h t e n those who see them. The ' s t y l e i n 1

them i s r e v e a l e d t o us by a n o t h e r v i s i o n .
Egypt has become a ' s t y l e ' i n our eyes because
we see d i f f e r e n t l y . But f o r them . . . t h e r e '
c o u l d o n l y be one c l e a r v i s i o n o f the w o r l d :
t h e i r own. The same was t r u e f o r p r e - h i s t o r i c ,
Romanesque, and P o l y n e s i a n a r t i s t s . They had
no c h o i c e . Only one v a l i d v i s i o n of t h i n g s was
a v a i l a b l e : t h e i r own. But to-day we know a l l
t h e p o s s i b l e v i s i o n s and we c a l l t h e s e v i s i o n s
' s t y l e s ' once they a r e a r r e s t e d i n t i m e and
space.17

S t y l e , consequently, i s c o n s i d e r e d a d i r e c t r e s u l t o f sharpness

and f i d e l i t y of v i s i o n . Even so, G i a c o m e t t i a d m i t s , i f he

were t o succeed i n making a head somewhat as he sees i t , i t

would o b l i g a t o r i l y l o o k ' s t y l i s h ' i n t h e eyes of o t h e r p e o p l e .

P e o p l e l o o k at h i s work and b e l i e v e i t something invented;

t h e r e a l r e a s o n t h a t they l o o k i s t h a t h i s work comes c l o s e t o

realizing his vision. On the o t h e r hand, "a r e a l i s t i c p i c t u r e

i s a p i c t u r e t o o u n r e a l t o become ' s t y l i s h . ' The trouble with

18
i t i s t h a t i t doesn't l o o k l i k e anything."

Likeness i n Giacometti's terms r e f e r s t o a much

p r o f o u n d e r resemblance t h a n t h a t conveyed by r e a l i s m . Likeness

r e s u l t s from t r u e s e e i n g , but not from pure s e n s a t i o n , i f by

s e n s a t i o n i s meant the t o t a l i t y o f uncensored sense impressions

which s t i m u l a t e the eye. Seeing as a r e l e v a n t p a r t of

experience can never r e f e r t o some s o r t o f n e u t r a l p e r c e p t i o n ,

some p u r e l y p h y s i c a l r e a c t i o n w i t h i n the socket of t h e eye.

 46

I t has no s i m i l a r i t y w i t h t h e i n s t a n t a n e o u s , mechanical

o b j e c t i v i t y o f t h e camera, f o r t h e camera l e n s does n o t

r e g i s t e r d i s t a n c e , i t does not s e l e c t , i t o n l y c a p t u r e s a

m y r i a d o f u n d i f f e r e n t i a t e d i n f o r m a t i o n and cannot convey any

o f t h e q u a l i t y o f i n n e r human e x p e r i e n c e . The e y e , on t h e

o t h e r hand, sees under t h e d i r e c t i o n o f t h e b r a i n . Seeing i s

informed by t h e whole depth o f phenomena o f human e x p e r i e n c e .

I t i s as much a m e n t a l a c t i v i t y as i t i s a p h y s i c a l one

because t h e b r a i n s o r t s o u t , s e l e c t s and d i r e c t s t h e d a t a o f

p e r c e p t i o n which i s t r a n s m i t t e d from t h e eyes. The human eye

w i l l always see through a v e i l o f c o n t r o l l i n g h a b i t s so t h a t

i t tends t o know what i t sees as i t sees. I t has been

c o n d i t i o n e d i n p e r c e p t i o n by t h e e x p e c t a t i o n s o f p a t t e r n s s e t

by p a s t e x p e r i e n c e . T h i s i s why we see a woman as a

Bouguereau and a l a n d s c a p e as a P i s s a r r o . We a r e , so t o speak,

b l i n d e d by knowledge.

G i a c o m e t t i would seek t o u n b l i n d v i s i o n and p u l l t h e

v e i l o f p r e c o n c e p t i o n from i n f r o n t o f o u r eyes. H i s aim,

however, i s not pure o r u n d i f f e r e n t i a t e d v i s i o n , f o r t h i s i s

i n h e r e n t l y i m p o s s i b l e by t h e v e r y n a t u r e o f human p e r c e p t i o n .

Furthermore, t o r e n d e r v i s i o n n e u t r a l would be t o dehumanize

i t , and t o s t r i p i t o f whatever i s r e l e v a n t and i n t e r e s t i n g t o

art. G i a c o m e t t i i s n o t i n t e r e s t e d i n doing s c i e n t i f i c research

i n t o the nature o f the world. What he searches f o r i s knowledge,

as he s a y s , o f t h e " s e c r e t o f l i f e " ; and t h a t i s not a

 47

d i s i n t e r e s t e d search.

Man i s not i n t e r e s t e d i n sense i m p r e s s i o n s , except i n

so f a r as they can be i n t e r p r e t e d i n terms o f h i s concepts

about the e x t e r n a l and i n t e r n a l w o r l d s which s u r v i v a l

n e c e s s i t a t e s t h a t he d e v e l o p . These c o n c e p t s , which are shaped

by t r a d i t i o n , c u l t u r e and p e r s o n a l e x p e r i e n c e , must not be

a l l o w e d t o s o l i d i f y and become a b s o l u t e . The human mind has

the c a p a c i t y t o s e t up p a t t e r n s o f c o n d i t i o n e d a t t i t u d e s and

r e a c t i o n s which f a c i l i t a t e l i v i n g , and a t the same time

m a i n t a i n a c r i t i c a l a t t i t u d e towards these p a t t e r n s , s u b j e c t i n g

them t o c o n s t a n t r e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n a c c o r d i n g t o the i n c e s s a n t

bombardment of new sense i m p r e s s i o n s . V i g i l a n t e x e r c i s e of

t h i s c a p a c i t y a l l o w s a c o n t i n u o u s r e v a l u a t i o n and r e o r g a n i z a t i o n

o f the whole f a b r i c o f e x p e r i e n c e and a t t i t u d e s toward the

e x t e r n a l and i n t e r n a l l i f e and p r e v e n t s mental p a t t e r n s from

c o n d i t i o n i n g themselves into rigor mortis. Man's v i s i o n ,

c o n s e q u e n t l y , w i l l always e x p r e s s i t s e l f i n terms o f an

o r g a n i z a t i o n o f a t t i t u d e s understood i n terms o f the most

recent r e v e l a t i o n s of experience. By m a i n t a i n i n g h i s mind on

c o n s t a n t a l e r t , f r e e l y r e c e p t i v e t o new impressions, man

escapes from b e i n g l u l l e d t o s l e e p by y e s t e r d a y ' s conceptions,

which a r e today's cliches. T h i s i s t r u e v i s i o n , as G i a c o m e t t i

envisages i t : m a n i f e s t e d i n the courage t o " w i t h o u t a second's

h e s i t a t i o n t o e f f a c e the work o f the day b e f o r e because", says

he, "everyday I f e e l I see f u r t h e r ... And i f I see more c l e a r l y

a f t e r w a r d s , i f as I go out I see r e a l i t y j u s t t o be a l i t t l e
 48

d i f f e r e n t , then ... I am the winner." Likeness i s a product

o f t r u e v i s i o n and s t y l e i s the h i s t o r i c a l d e n o t a t i o n f o r

l i k e n e s s as i t was seen t h r o u g h the temperaments o f o t h e r ages.

As a p o s t s c r i p t t o t h i s c h a p t e r , i t i s i n t e r e s t i n g to

note how l i t t l e Cezanne's concept o f a r t i s t i c vision differs

from G i a c o m e t t i ' s . Gauss quotes V e n t u r i ' s argument t h a t

Cezanne's t h e o r y l e t s " v i s i o n appear i n i t s s e n s i b l e p u r i t y " ^ 0

and h i s r e f u t a t i o n of V e n t u r i i s e s s e n t i a l l y a r e i t e r a t i o n of
the d i s c u s s i o n o f v i s i o n i n r e l a t i o n t o G i a c o m e t t i i n t h i s
chapter. Whatever i s the s e n s i b l e p u r i t y o f v i s u a l perception?
There i s no a b s o l u t e resemblance between t h i n g s as they are

and the way i n w h i c h we see them. "The appearance o f o b j e c t s

depends on the t o t a l v i s u a l f i e l d i n which they are found and

upon the d e f i n i t e a t t i t u d e s and e x p e r i e n c e s , i n s h o r t , upon the

21
t o t a l o r g a n i z a t i o n o f the o b s e r v e r . "
Cezanne, t o o , had r e a c t e d t o r e a l i s m , d i s s o c i a t i n g

h i m s e l f from Manet and the i m p r e s s i o n i s t s because he was

d i s s a t i s f i e d w i t h the f a c i l i t y and s u p e r f i c i a l i t y o f t h e i r work.

As G i a c o m e t t i was t o do a h a l f c e n t u r y l a t e r , Cezanne devoted

h i s a r t t o the d i s c o v e r y and e l a b o r a t i o n o f a deeper t r u t h as

he d i s c o v e r e d i t i n n a t u r e , i n c o n t r a s t t o what c o n v e n t i o n

r e g a r d e d as t r u e . Whatever i t be, an a p p l e , a head, a mountain,

"Je pars n e u t r e " , he s a i d , a b s t r a c t i n g h i m s e l f from a l l p r e -

c o n c e i v e d i d e a s , w i s h i n g t o r e n d e r h i s v i s i o n more p r e c i s e l y .

In c o n t r a s t t o the f a c i l e surface c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f

i m p r e s s i o n i s m , Cezanne sought t o d i s c o v e r something deeper and

more a b s o l u t e i n t h e e x t e r i o r w o r l d . The r e s u l t o f t h e s e

r e s e a r c h e s towards a new c o n c e p t i o n o f t h e n a t u r e o f t h i n g s

was t h e r e v e l a t i o n o f an unchangeable i n t e r r e l a t i o n s h i p and

u n i t y i n n a t u r e on which t h e v e r y e x i s t e n c e o f t h i n g s depended:

"The permanent and harmonious d i s p o s i t i o n o f o b j e c t s and space

23
governed by t h e i r being t o g e t h e r . " T h i s was an i n t e l l e c t u a l

concept, a v i s i o n ordered according to c e r t a i n r e l i g i o u s ,

m e t a p h y s i c a l and s c i e n t i f i c p r e c e p t s a v a i l a b l e t o Cezanne a t

the end o f t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y . By t a k i n g t h e v i s u a l

d i s c o v e r i e s o f t h e i m p r e s s i o n i s t s and imposing on them h i s

i n t e l l e c t u a l o r d e r i n g , he d i s c o v e r e d a new way o f s e e i n g .

There i s r e v e a l e d here a c o m b i n a t i o n o f v i s u a l innocence and

intellectual sophistication a t work which has r e a l r e l e v a n c e t o

the a r t o f G i a c o m e t t i .
 CHAPTER V

Cezanne's and G i a c o m e t t i ' s comparable d e v o t i o n t o

v i s i o n f r e e from p r e c o n c e p t i o n s and to a s e a r c h f o r a b s o l u t e

t r u t h a l s o suggests a s i m i l a r i t y i n a c t u a l working procedure.

Both, i n f a c t , approach a r t i n a v e r y s c i e n t i f i c manner.

Ce'zanne sought to e s t a b l i s h from n a t u r e a p r i n c i p l e

d e r i v e d , not from mere p e r c e p t i o n o f i t s a c c i d e n t a l q u a l i t i e s ,

but from the p r i m a r y q u a l i t i e s o f n a t u r e , which would be t o

a r t what mathematics i s t o p h y s i c s . These q u a l i t i e s , as h i s

v i s i o n d e t e c t e d them, were volumes and the r e c e s s i v e

j u x t a p o s i t i o n o f p l a n e s as g i v e n l i n e a r and a e r i a l p e r s p e c t i v e

he d e c i d e d t o t r e a t n a t u r e "by t h e c y l i n d e r , the sphere and t h

cone.""'" The f o r m u l a t i o n o f an i n t e l l e c t u a l p r i n c i p l e , however

d i d not r e s u l t i n h i s r e t r e a t t o the s t u d i o t o p a i n t landscape

out o f h i s i m a g i n a t i o n and a c c o r d i n g t o h i s p r i n c i p l e s . I f he

approached h i s s e n s a t i o n s from a predetermined p o i n t of view,

he worked l i k e a s c i e n t i s t w i t h a h y p o t h e s i s . Because o f the

overwhelming d i v e r s i t y o f n a t u r e i t was e s s e n t i a l t h a t the

a r t i s t , l i k e t h e s c i e n t i s t , approach h i s s e n s a t i o n s a c c o r d i n g

t o some o r d e r i n g p r i n c i p l e . I f Cezanne p o s i t e d f o r n a t u r e a

wholeness, and a s t a n d i n g t o g e t h e r o f o b j e c t s w i t h i n i t i n a

permanent u n i t y , t h i s h y p o t h e s i s was t e s t e d by continuous

reference to nature. With o b s e s s i o n , he r e f e r r e d time and

a g a i n t o the same s u b j e c t , whether i t was Madame Cezanne o r

Mont S a i n t e - V i c t o i r e .
 G i a c o m e t t i ' s methods, as we s h a l l s e e , a r e as r i g i d .

A b r i e f d i s c u s s i o n o f h i s p r e c i s e working p r o c e d u r e s w i l l

l e a d t o an a n a l y s i s o f t h e b a s i c elements o f h i s a r t , which

are d i s t a n c e and s e p a r a t i o n . These c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s a r e b a s i c

to t h e works not o n l y as p h y s i c a l o b j e c t s , b u t as presences

which we approach on an e m o t i o n a l and p s y c h o l o g i c a l l e v e l .

The fundamental elements o f d i s t a n c e and s e p a r a t i o n i n

G i a c o m e t t i ' s works u l t i m a t e l y e x p l a i n t h e impasse which h i s

a r t has r e a c h e d .

G i a c o m e t t i ' s method o f w o r k i n g i s one o f e x p e r i m e n t a -

t i o n , drawing o f c o n c l u s i o n s , r e q u e s t i o n i n g , a r e f o r m i n g o f

c o n c l u s i o n s and so on t h r o u g h t h e c y c l e ad i n f i n i t u m . This

p r o c e s s a p p l i e s n o t o n l y i n t h e c r e a t i o n o f each i n d i v i d u a l

work, b u t as w e l l t o h i s l i f e t i m e development as an a r t i s t .

H i s e a r l y y e a r s a t B o u r d e l l e ' s s t u d i o were ones o f

experimentation i n terms o f w o r k i n g d i r e c t l y from t h e model.

And i f he g o t c a r r i e d away i n h i s s u r r e a l i s t activities,

these a t l e a s t began as a p e r i o d o f r e s o r t t o memory i n o r d e r

t o f o r m u l a t e a l i t t l e o f what he had seen. I n 1935, t o r e g a i n

touch w i t h r e a l i t y , he r e t u r n e d t o d i r e c t s t u d y , but t h e

f o r t i e s a g a i n r e q u i r e d a p e r i o d o f summation and f o r m u l a t i o n

of conclusions. T h i s was t h e p e r i o d o f t h e t i n y f i g u r e s which

r e a l i z e d l i k e n e s s o n l y as they d i s a p p e a r e d i n t o dust. These

were found t o be u n s a t i s f a c t o r y and f u r t h e r study was r e q u i r e d .

Thus a l t e r n a t i n g between d i r e c t study and memory and as w e l l

between p a i n t i n g , s c u l p t u r e and drawing, he c o n t i n u e d a

r e l e n t l e s s s e a r c h f o r l i k e n e s s , t u r n i n g t o w h i c h e v e r method

o r medium was n e c e s s a r y t o s o l v e t h e problem on hand.

On a n o t h e r l e v e l , each p i c t u r e and each s c u l p t u r e i s

a study which c o u l d go on f o r an i n d e t e r m i n a t e time-period of

q u e s t i o n i n g and r e q u e s t i o n i n g h i s v i s i o n o f t h e model;

d e s t r o y i n g and b e g i n n i n g a f r e s h each time a new i n s i g h t into

the r e a l i z a t i o n o f h i s v i s i o n i s d i s c o v e r e d ; an i n s i g h t which,

i n t u r n , w i l l l e a d t o s h a r p e r and p r e c i s e r s e e i n g , and then t o

d e s t r u c t i o n and r e q u e s t i o n i n g and so on.

I t c o u l d be c l a i m e d t h a t G i a c o m e t t i i s d u l l i n h i s

c o n s t a n t r e t u r n o v e r t h e l a s t t h i r t y y e a r s t o t h e same few

problems, t h e same models, t h e same d e v i c e s , " r e a p p l y i n g

h i m s e l f w i t h r e m a r k a b l e p a t i e n c e and f o r c e t o an imagery
2
a l r e a d y f a m i l i a r and t o a r t i s t i c devices long e s t a b l i s h e d . "

Annette, C a r o l i n e , t h e a r t i s t ' s ' m o t h e r , Diego, almost

e x c l u s i v e l y have been h i s models d u r i n g t h e t h r e e decades,

w i t h a few s t i l l l i f e s and some l a n d s c a p e s i n t e r s p e r s e d here

and t h e r e . A l i s t o f s u b j e c t s t o be complete would be v e r y

s h o r t , and a few predominate almost t o e x c l u s i o n : head o r b u s t ,

seated f i g u r e , s t a n d i n g f i g u r e , p l u s groups and t h e w a l k i n g

figure. And even w i t h these r a d i c a l r e s t r i c t i o n s , t h e degree

of r e d u c t i o n o f the subject matter i t s e l f i s remarkable. The

f i g u r e s stand r i g i d l y a t a t t e n t i o n , f a c e f r o n t , g e s t u r e l e s s ,

except f o r t h e gaze o f t h e i r e y e s ; t h e seated f i g u r e s a r e

p l a c e d on a s t o o l i n f r o n t a l pose, l e g s c r o s s e d , hands i n l a p .
In t h e p a i n t i n g s t h e f i g u r e i s p l a c e d r i g i d l y and s y m m e t r i c a l l y

i n t h e c e n t r e ; background and s e t t i n g a r e g i v e n o n l y c u r s o r y

treatment, l i g h t and c o l o r a r e i r r e l e v a n t . Few a r t i s t s have

so v i o l e n t l y reduced t h e i r human f i g u r e s . Only Samuel B e c k e t t

comes t o mind. His characters are stripped of a l l occasion,

o f p l a c e , o f t i m e , o f memory o r b e l i e f o r knowledge, even o f

p h y s i c a l body; reduced t o whatever i t be, mind o r s o u l , which

i s t h e f i n a l source o f e x i s t e n c e .

Giacometti*s s i t t e r s have t e s t i f i e d t o the p r e c i s i o n

w i t h which he approached even h i s v e r y r e s t r i c t e d and meagre

subject matter. Jean Genet, James L o r d and I s a k u Yanaihara

a l l r e p o r t how h i s p r e p a r a t i o n s f o r a s i t t i n g were as r i g i d as

i f he were s e t t i n g up an e l a b o r a t e , p r e c i s e l y controlled

scientific experiment. From Y a n a i h a r a ' s journal:

La p l a c e de l a c h a i s e e s t marquee sure l e p l a n c h e r
a l a p e i n t u r e rouge. C e l a l e rend t r e s nerveux.
Quand j e pose s u r l a c h a i s e que j ' a i p l a c e e '
soigneusement a l a p l a c e marquee, i l me demande:
"Etes-vous s u r d ' e t r e a l a bonne p l a c e ? " J e l u i
a s s u r e que o u i , mais en v a i n ; i n q u i e t , i l se l e v e
pour v e n i r v e r i f i e r lui-meme l a p o s i t i o n de l a
c h a i s e . . . . I I n'y a pas que l a p l a c e de l a c h a i s e
q u i l e rende nerveux. La hauteur de s a t o i l e l e
tourmente a u s s i t o u j o u r s . Pour l a c h a i s e , i l
s u f f i t de r e s p e c t e r l a marque p e i n t e , mais l a
hauteur de l a t o i l e n ' e s t pas f i x e e a l ' a v a n c e .
Car l a hauteur " j u s t e " v a r i e s e l o n l e p r o g r e s du
travail. On peut a j u s t e r l a hauteur du c h e v a l e t
a p l u s i e u r s n i v e a u x , mais G i a c o m e t t i n'etant pas
s a t i s f a i t de ces hauteurs a p p r o x i m a t i v e s , i l a
place' sous l a t o i l e un peu de l ' a r g i l e dont i l se
s e r t pour l a s c u l p t u r e . Au cours de son t r a v a i l ,
s ' i l trouv>e f a u s s e l a hauteur de l a t o i l e , i l
a j o u t e ou r e t i r e un peu de c e t t e a r g i l e . La
d i s t a n c e q u i separe l e p e i n t r e du modele e t a n t
 54

f i x e par l a p l a c e i n t a n g i b l e de l a c h a i s e , i l ne
peut p e i n d r e son modele que dans une c e r t a i n e
p o s i t i o n et a une c e r t a i n e d i m e n s i o n , s ' i l
veut l e p e i n d r e exactement comme i l l e v o i t .
Par consequent l e changement de p o s i t i o n de l a
t o i l e determine l e changement de 1'espace a u t o u r
du p o r t r a i t . Le changement des c a r a c t e r e s du
v i s a g e provoque l e changement de 1*espace q u i
1'entoure et n e c e s s i t e l e changement de l a
h a u t e u r de l a t o i l e . Mais comment t r o u v e r l a
hauteur "juste"?3

I n o r d e r t o i s o l a t e the e s s e n t i a l t r u t h s i n h i s

v i s i o n o f the e x t e r i o r w o r l d , G i a c o m e t t i has o r g a n i z e d the

s t r i c t e s t w o r k i n g p r o c e d u r e s and has reduced h i s subject

m a t t e r t o the b a r e s t minimum. Within t h i s s i t u a t i o n , with

work commenced, he e s t a b l i s h e s a r e m a r k a b l y c l o s e identity

w i t h h i s model. Lord d e s c r i b e s how one day the artist's

f o o t a c c i d e n t a l l y s t r u c k the c a t c h which h o l d s the easel

s h e l f a t the p r o p e r l e v e l so t h a t i t f e l l a f o o t o r two.

"Oh excuse me!" he s a i d as i f he had a p o l o g i z e d for causing

the model t o f a l l , r a t h e r t h a n the p a i n t i n g . "That's e x a c t l y

4

what I d i d f e e l , " he r e p l i e d t o L o r d ' s observation.

The anecdote i n d i c a t e s G i a c o m e t t i ' s f e e l i n g s towards

his work i n r e l a t i o n t o the model. I n a sense, he

d i f f e r e n t i a t e s l i t t l e between the two. If his physical

d i s t a n c e from the model and the f i g u r e on the canvas d i f f e r s ,

his v i s u a l d i s t a n c e from them and t h e i r s i z e are the same.

The s i z e of the f i g u r e on the canvas c o r r e s p o n d s t o the s i z e

of the image at the end of t h e v i s u a l cone r u n n i n g between

Giacometti's eyes and the model. Normal v i s i o n would c o r r e c t

 55

the r e t i n a l image so t h a t the d i s t a n t head would not be

perceived s m a l l , but l i f e s i z e and distant. But G i a c o m e t t i is

f r e e d from the normal c o n c e p t u a l adjustment and h i s copy o f

the head on canvas r e f e r s t o the s t r i c t l y v i s i b l e . This

c a p a c i t y t o see w i t h o u t p r e c o n c e p t i o n a l s o e x p l a i n s the steep

perspective i n many of h i s p a i n t i n g s . This i s p a r t i c u l a r l y

emphasized i n t h o s e done from d i r e c t study and causes the more

d i s t a n t head t o seem d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y s m a l l and the nearby

body and l e g s t o loom up l a r g e i n c o n t r a s t . In explanation,

Giacometti p o i n t s out t h a t among s c u l p t u r e s produced by early

c i v i l i z a t i o n s and p r e h i s t o r i c man, t h e r e i s a f a i r l y common

s i z e f o r a f i g u r e and f o r a head and t h i s i s very small. "I

t h i n k t h i s was p u r e l y and simply the s i z e which i n s t i n c t i v e l y

was t o hand - the s i z e one r e a l l y sees t h i n g s . With l a t e r

developments, v i s i o n got t r a n s f o r m e d by the mind i n t o c o n c e p t .

I can do your head l i f e - s i z e because I know i t ' s l i f e size."

I n h e r e n t i n seeing as p r e c i s e l y and accurately as

p o s s i b l e i s the r e a l i z a t i o n t h a t a l l seeing i s done at a

distance: A head i s not seen l i f e - s i z e because i t i s seen

across the distance t h a t s e p a r a t e s i t from the artist.

E x p e r i e n c e reminds us of the s i g n i f i c a n c e of t h i s f a c t , f o r

the o b j e c t seen may a l t e r i t s a s p e c t e n t i r e l y w i t h a change i n

distance. At two s t e p s a f i g u r e looms up b e f o r e us and we have

no concept of the t o t a l i t y o r u n i t y of i t s forms; we are too

overwhelmed by the m u l t i p l i c i t y of d e t a i l . At a g r e a t distance

 56

the d e t a i l s become absorbed i n t o the whole and the g r e a t e r the

d i s t a n c e the more the d e t a i l s d i s a p p e a r , u n t i l e v e n t u a l l y the

o b j e c t i t s e l f vanishes i n t o a t i n y , u n i d e n t i f i a b l e speck.

V i s i o n performed w i t h s c i e n t i f i c p r e c i s i o n cannot o v e r l o o k

t h i s simple t r u t h . Consequently, a r t , i f i t wishes to r e -

produce what i s seen, must i n c o r p o r a t e i n t o i t s image the

d i s t a n c e between a r t i s t and model. P a i n t i n g which has always

been c o n f r o n t e d with the problem of r e p r e s e n t i n g t h r e e

dimensions on a two-dimensional surface has long been aware o f

this. The d i s t a n c e between the f i g u r e s i n a p a i n t i n g and the

eyes o f the o b s e r v e r never changes whether we see the p a i n t i n g

from one f o o t o r twenty f e e t away. This d i s t a n c e i s t o t a l l y

imaginary but an i n t e g r a l p a r t o f the p a i n t i n g .

The same t r u t h has not been r e c o g n i z e d by sculpture,

6

as S a r t r e e x p l a i n s , f o r s c u l p t o r s have always worked i n

t h r e e - d i m e n s i o n a l space. But whereas the product, the

s c u l p t u r e d f i g u r e , was imaginary, they thought they were

working w i t h r e a l dimensions. The r e s u l t , due to the c o n f u s i o n

of r e a l and imaginary space, i s that s c u l p t o r s produced the

model as over t h e r e i n s t e a d o f the model seen from here, t e n

f e e t away. The r e s u l t g i v e s r i s e to constant c o n f u s i o n between

r e a l i t y and i l l u s i o n . For i f the s c u l p t o r produces here the

model as i t i s over t h r e e , r a t h e r than as he sees i t from here,

then i t must conform t o a l l the v i s u a l experience which the

model y i e l d s . S a r t r e : "Ten steps away from her, I form a

 57

c e r t a i n image of a nude woman, i f I approach and l o o k a t her at

c l o s e range, I no l o n g e r r e c o g n i z e h e r ; the c r a t e r s , c r e v i c e s ,

c r a c k s , the rough, b l a c k h e r b s , the g r e a s y s t r e a k s , the lunar

orography i n i t s e n t i r e t y s i m p l y cannot be the smooth, f r e s h

7

s k i n I was admiring from a d i s t a n c e . " I f t h e s c u l p t o r i s to

i m i t a t e the model as i t i s o v e r t h e r e , he would have t o

i n c o r p o r a t e i t s appearances a t a l l d i s t a n c e s - an impossible

task. I n s t e a d , the s t a t u e resembles n e i t h e r what the model i s

n o r what the s c u l p t o r sees, but a c o n t r a d i c t o r y compromise

between the two, p r e s e n t i n g c e r t a i n d e t a i l s not v i s i b l e from

so f a r away as i f they d i d e x i s t and n e g l e c t i n g o t h e r s t h a t do

e x i s t as i f t h e y were unseen. The r e s u l t i s a c o n s t r u c t i o n

a c c o r d i n g t o what i s a c o n v e n t i o n a l l y a c c e p t a b l e figure. To

e x t r i c a t e h i m s e l f from t h i s muddle, G i a c o m e t t i found i t

n e c e s s a r y t o r e s t r i c t h i m s e l f t o one distance - the absolute

d i s t a n c e of p a i n t i n g , which i s an i m a g i n a r y , indivisible space

always s e p a r a t i n g the v i e w e r from the s c u l p t u r e by the same

d i s t a n c e t h a t the s c u l p t o r was separated from the model.

The c l o s e r one approaches a c l a s s i c a l s t a t u e , t h e more

t h e d e t a i l s are r e v e a l e d u n t i l when c l o s e enough the statue

can m e a n i n g f u l l y be examined p a r t by p a r t i n terms of the

details. The experience when c o n f r o n t e d by one of Giacometti's

figures i s quite different. At a c e r t a i n d i s t a n c e from V e n i c e

Woman V I I I , the eye f o l l o w s s e n s i t i v e l y the c u r v a t u r e of the

b r e a s t s , the narrow i n t a k e of the w a i s t , broadening g e n t l y into

the bulge of the stomach below, t h e shape o f h i p s and thighs;

 58

even f a c i a l f e a t u r e s and bone s t r u c t u r e a r e imagined.

Approaching the f i g u r e , however, does not b r i n g i t i n t o sharper

f o c u s , r e v e a l i n g d e t a i l s ready f o r a n a l y s i s . Instead, everything,

c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f f a c e and body d i s a p p e a r s , l e a v i n g o n l y g r e a t

h o l l o w s and r i d g e s o f squeezed p l a s t e r o r t h e i r bronze e q u i v a l e n t .

The o r i g i n a l a b s o l u t e d i s t a n c e between a r t i s t and model r i g i d l y

c o n t r o l s our p e r c e p t i o n o f the s t a t u e .

D i s t a n c e i m p l i e s depth i n space, but i n s c u l p t u r e depth

i s i n h e r e n t l y understood f o r the o b j e c t d e a l t w i t h i s t h r e e -

dimensional. I t i s i n p a i n t i n g consequently t h a t Giacometti's

o b s e s s i o n w i t h depth can most d e c i s i v e l y be observed.

I n t e r e s t i n g l y , h i s p r e o c c u p a t i o n w i t h space on the two-

d i m e n s i o n a l s u r f a c e o f the canvas, so c o n t r a r y t o most

contemporary t r e n d s i n p a i n t i n g , can be t r a c e d back t o Cezanne,

who as w e l l i s g i v e n c r e d i t f o r h a v i n g i n i t i a t e d the r e a l i z a t i o n

t h a t the canvas i s a f l a t p l a n e and not a window t o l o o k t h r o u g h .

9
In the p a i n t i n g o f A n n e t t e , 1951 the double frame i s the first

i n d i c a t i o n t h a t we are l o o k i n g through i n t o a space behind the

canvas. Next, a p e r s p e c t i v e system i s v a g u e l y suggested by

d i a g o n a l s r u n n i n g from the bottom c o r n e r s o f the p i c t u r e towards

the r e a r c o r n e r o f the s t u d i o . In t h e t r i a n g u l a r space thus

depicted Annette i s s e a t e d on a c h a i r v e r y c l o s e t o the edge o f

the frame. She i s seen i n v e r y steep p e r s p e c t i v e ; her head i s a

s m a l l c o n c e n t r a t e d sphere deep i n space whereas her l e g s and

f e e t are l a r g e and very c l o s e . There i s some a m b i g u i t y i n the

 59

l a t t e r , however, f o r her f e e t , which should be t o u c h i n g the inner

frame of the p i c t u r e , have been demolished w i t h t h o s e l a r g e grey

b r u s h s t r o k e s t h a t he uses t o 'undo' what he has previously

finished. Perhaps the p a i n t i n g o f those f e e t was an i n s o l u b l e

problem. I t seems t h a t they would p r o t r u d e out towards one,

very c l o s e , but where would they go? The l e g s o f the c h a i r seem

as w e l l t o r e s t on the v e r y edge o f the frame. The sensation of

l o o k i n g a t A n n e t t e i s not u n l i k e s e e i n g someone t h r o u g h a
reversed p a i r of t h i c k eyeglasses or a small telescope. The

f u r t h e r away an o b j e c t i s the s m a l l e r i t becomes and the vaster

t h e space i n which i t e x i s t s . A n n e t t e ' s c o r n e r o f the s t u d i o i s

t i n y but so empty t h a t she i s immeasurably s e p a r a t e d from t h e

c l u t t e r o f o b j e c t s l i n i n g the w a l l s . Volumes o f space l i e

b e h i n d and around h e r . And as the eye moves away from the centre

of h e r body, the d a s h i n g q u i c k l i n e s which d e f i n e her open up and

m i n g l e w i t h the space around h e r . This grey-green l i q u i d space

which f l o o d s the room, f r e e z i n g the o b j e c t s e t e r n a l l y i n t o t h e i r

place, penetrates and c i r c u l a t e s the c o n f i g u r a t i o n s o f her body.

She i s not s e t a g a i n s t the o b j e c t s and w a l l s o f the s t u d i o , but

i s suspended i n the m i d d l e o f i t s space.

Further i n s i g h t s i n t o Giacometti's methods and artistic

10
language are r e v e a l e d v i a a c l o s e - u p : a drawing of a Head, 1961

Here t h e r e i s no t i m e t o l i n g e r o v e r the d e t a i l s o f facial

f e a t u r e s o r f o l l o w t h e i r c o n f i g u r a t i o n i n terms o f d e l i c a t e l y

drawn c o n t o u r s . I n s t e a d , r a p i d , almost s c r i b b l e d , l i n e s i n an

i n s t a n t seem to c a p t u r e the wholeness o f the f a c e . Through an

a c c u m u l a t i o n o f s w i f t s t r o k e s o f t h e p e n c i l t h e f a c e becomes

denser and denser u n t i l i t seems a t i g h t l y wound mass. But

a g a i n space and boundary i n t e r m i n g l e so t h a t t h e head seems

suspended i n t h e i n f i n i t e v o i d o f t h e w h i t e paper. I t partakes

o f t h e space around i t but i s a t o t a l t o i t s e l f , a b s o l u t e and

inviolable.

V i a t h i s image o f s c r i b b l e d , c i r c l i n g l i n e s , each o f

which c a n c e l s t h e importance o f t h e o t h e r s so t h a t no s i n g l e

l i n e s e r v e s a s a d e f i n i n g c o n t o u r but i s s u b o r d i n a t e d t o t h e

t o t a l i m p r e s s i o n , G i a c o m e t t i b e g i n s t o r e - c r e a t e a head as he

sees i t i n i t s wholeness. The d e t a i l s t o o , however, enchant

him - t h e eye i n t h e f a c e o r t h e moss on a t r e e . "Yet no more

than t h e whole f o r how t o d i f f e r e n t i a t e between t h e d e t a i l and

t h e whole? I t i s t h e d e t a i l s t h a t form t h e whole ... determine

t h e beauty o f t h e form." "'" 1

He c o n t i n u e s :

When I see a head from v e r y f a r , I have t h e

i m p r e s s i o n o f a s p h e r e . When I see i t from
v e r y c l o s e , i t ceases t o be a sphere and
becomes e x t r e m e l y complex i n depth. One
e n t e r s i n t o a b e i n g . E v e r y t h i n g seems t r a n s -
p a r e n t , one sees t h r o u g h a s k e l e t o n . The main
i n s u r m o u n t a b l e o b s t a c l e i s t o g r a s p t h e whole*
as w e l l a s what one might c a l l t h e d e t a i l s . 1 2

The e m o t i o n a l i m p l i c a t i o n s o f G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t which

a r i s e from t h e d r a m a t i c c o n f r o n t a t i o n o f a r t i s t and model must

not be f o r g o t t e n i n t h i s c o n t e x t . G i a c o m e t t i i s never merely

an o b j e c t i v e o b s e r v e r and would d i s d a i n t o r e p r e s e n t a head as

an A r c i m b o l d i a r c h i p e l a g o of d i f f e r e n t i a t e d p a r t s . A head i s

not the a d d i t i o n o f two eyes, two e a r s , a mouth, a c h i n , cheeks,

forehead e t c . , but a synogy of t h e s e f e a t u r e s . A face will

always be a whole f o r man i s a s i n g l e u n i f i e d being. A return

to the drawing d i s c u s s e d above r e v e a l s a head w i t h a l l t h e

f a c i a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , but they are o n l y ambiguously d e s c r i b e d

and l a c k , f o r i n s t a n c e , the c l a r i t y and d e f i n i t i o n o f contour

of an I n g r e s p o r t r a i t . The c r i s s - c r o s s of l i n e s i n t e r a c t to
shape the p a r t s of the f a c e but the l i n e s do not stop a f t e r

performing the f u n c t i o n of d e s c r i b i n g an eye but run on t o

mingle w i t h t h e whole o f the f a c e .

U n i t y , however, cannot e x i s t i n d e p e n d e n t l y of an

organizing factor. In G i a c o m e t t i t h i s f a c t o r i s a l i v e n e s s ,

for what he i s c o n f r o n t i n g i s a l i v i n g b e i n g . Without life

the f a c i a l f e a t u r e s would be e n t i t i e s unto themselves

aggregated i n t o an i n e x p l i c a b l e u n i o n . T h i s i s why the focus

of a G i a c o m e t t i head i s always on the e y e s , t h e sources of

beauty and life.

T h e r e f o r e I t h i n k o f n o t h i n g but t h e eyes!
I n a s c u l p t u r e one s h o u l d render the head
and t h e body as w e l l as t h e ground on which
i t s t a n d s , then one would a l s o have space
and the p o s s i b i l i t y o f p u t t i n g i n t o i t
e v e r y t h i n g one wants. Yes, t o s c u l p t a l l
t h i s i t would s u f f i c e the e y e s . 1 3

In the d r a w i n g , the l i n e s which shape the f a c e are

l i n e s o f f o r c e c o n c e n t r a t i n g t h e i r energy, not on d e s c r i b i n g

the c u r l o f t h e l i p s , the u p t u r n o f the nose, the w r i n k l e s of

 62

the f o r e h e a d , but on e m p h a s i z i n g the eyes whose gaze i s e t e r n a l l y

t r a i n e d upon us. I t i s an i n t e n t , q u e s t i o n i n g , s a d , uncompre-

h e n d i n g , s i l e n t gaze which cannot be i n t e r p r e t e d , much l e s s

penetrated. Nevertheless, i t i s t h e essence o f t h e gaze o f

those eyes which r e a l l y d e f i n e s o u r r e l a t i o n s h i p t o t h e f i g u r e .

T h i s i s t h e meaning o f G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t , t h i s gaze which c r e a t e s

between us and i t an i m p e n e t r a b l e d i s t a n c e and s e p a r a t i o n which

can never be c l o s e d .

The a n a l y s i s o f t h e elements o f G i a c o m e t t i ' s s t y l e has

been c u r s o r y and c o n f i n e d t o t h e f i g u r a t i v e work, w i t h no

adequate d i s t i n c t i o n s made o f t h e d i f f e r e n t p a r t s t h a t d r a w i n g ,

p a i n t i n g and s c u l p t u r e may p l a y i n t h e development o f h i s a r t .

Interest i n s t e a d has been c e n t e r e d on e x t r i c a t i n g t h e b a s i c and

shared c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f h i s work. Those predominant

c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , i n summary, a r e d i s t a n c e and s e p a r a t i o n . The

f i g u r e r e - c r e a t e d i s posed r i g i d l y and s y m m e t r i c a l l y , t e n s e but

g e s t u r e l e s s , making no p h y s i c a l c o n t a c t o u t s i d e i t s e l f . If

s c u l p t e d , i t s human c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s v a n i s h when approached; i f

p a i n t e d , t h e s p e c t a t o r i s s e p a r a t e d from i t by double s e t s o f

frames and a t h i c k , hazy atmosphere, t h e essence o f i n e r t i a .

Whatever t h e medium, t h e f i g u r e i s i s o l a t e d i n an i m p e n e t r a b l e

space whose s o l i t u d e c o u l d n o t be b r o k e n . The one source o f

c o n t a c t , t h e g a z e , which c o n c e n t r a t e s t h e l i f e o f the f i g u r e ,
 63

s t a r e s d i r e c t l y out but sees n o t h i n g . It isa non-expressive

s t a r e , empty and s e l f - d i r e c t e d .

The q u a l i t y o f d i s t a n c e , as r e v e a l e d by a v i s i o n which

has f r e e d i t s e l f from t r a d i t i o n and sees s m a l l , e x p r e s s e s itself

doubly i n G i a c o m e t t i s a r t .
1
P u r e l y i n t h e a c t o f being an

artist, G i a c o m e t t i develops t h e t e c h n i c a l means o f r e n d e r i n g i n

p a i n t o r p l a s t e r t h e p h y s i c a l depth and d i s t a n c e which s e p a r a t e d

him from o t h e r o b j e c t s and b e i n g s . The e x p e r i e n c e , however, i s

v a l i d as w e l l on an e m o t i o n a l l e v e l . The empty gaze o f t h e eyes

embodies t h e p s y c h o l o g i c a l l y and s p i r i t u a l l y p e r c e i v e d d i s t a n c e

which a l s o w i l l d i v o r c e him e t e r n a l l y from i n t i m a t e c o n t a c t

with f e l l o w beings. The a r t i s t . m a y speak s p e c i f i c a l l y i n terms

o f t h e d e s c r i p t i o n o f p h y s i c a l r e a l i t y as rendered by v i s i o n ,

but a r t i s always a c o r n e r o f n a t u r e seen t h r o u g h a temperament,

and d i s t a n c e and s e p a r a t i o n a r e elements o f human r e l a t i o n s h i p s

p a r t i c u l a r l y experienced i n the mid-twentieth century. And t h i s

e x p e r i e n c e i s i n h e r e n t both i n t h e i m p e n e t r a b l e p s y c h o l o g i c a l

space c r e a t e d by t h e gaze and i n t h e i m p e n e t r a b l e m a t e r i a l space

which s e p a r a t e d t h e viewer p h y s i c a l l y from t h e f i g u r e s . Hence

both l e v e l s o f i n t e r p r e t a t i o n c o a l e s c e i n G i a c o m e t t i s a r t : t h a t
1

which o r i g i n a t e d i n p h y s i c a l e x p e r i e n c e as r e c o r d e d by t h e senses,

and t h a t which o r i g i n a t e d i n p s y c h o l o g i c a l and s p i r i t u a l

experience.

The double i n t e r p r e t a t i o n i s r i g h t because d i s t a n c e has

no meaning o u t s i d e human r e l a t i o n s . Whatever s e p a r a t e s a stone

 64

from a stone o r a t r e e from a n o t h e r t r e e has none o f the q u a l i t i e s

t h a t s e p a r a t e men. For man, however, the s p i r i t u a l may be

e x p e r i e n c e d as w e l l on the p h y s i c a l l e v e l , though i t may take a

s t r o n g , s e n s i t i v e i n t e l l i g e n c e t o p e r c e i v e t h e m i n g l i n g of the

two l e v e l s o f e x p e r i e n c e . D i s t a n c e , however, as a t o t a l

e x p e r i e n c e i s p a r t o f the s e n s i b i l i t y o f the post-war European

milieu. I t i s the d e c i s i v e element i n t h e f e e l i n g s o f a l i e n a t i o n

and estrangement which have been e x p e r i e n c e d i n many forms by

s e n s i t i v e men throughout h i s t o r y , but which o n l y i n t h i s c e n t u r y

has become an i n c r e a s i n g l y shared e x p e r i e n c e , almost an everyday

fact.

.M-. Dupin speaks o f the two a s p e c t s o f G i a c o m e t t i s f

a r t : the t e c h n i c a l a s p e c t , w i t h which o n l y the a r t i s t i s

concerned and t o which he tends t o c o n f i n e h i s comments,

perhaps t a k i n g t h e o t h e r a s p e c t f o r g r a n t e d ; and the e m o t i o n a l

drama which i s e x p r e s s e d v i a the t e c h n i c a l and which primarily

^ f a s c i n a t e s the s p e c t a t o r . This d i s t i n c t i o n i s , of course,

p u r e l y academic f o r the two a s p e c t s are m u t u a l l y interdependent,

woven t o g e t h e r i n s e p a r a b l y i n t h e f i n i s h e d p r o d u c t . I t i s the

c o e x i s t e n c e , , however, o f the two elements i n Giacometti's a r t

which g i v e s r e l e v a n c e t o the i d e o l o g i c a l c r i t i c i s m o f the

European e x i s t e n t i a l i s t s (not o v e r l o o k i n g , o f c o u r s e , t h e i r

p i t f a l l s ) and makes i t an e s s e n t i a l a d j u n c t t o p u r e l y f o r m a l

criticism. I t i s perhaps a f a u l t even t o suggest t h a t the two

l e v e l s o f c r i t i c i s m are d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e .

I t i s when c o n s i d e r i n g the i n t e r m i n g l i n g o f the t e c h n i c a l

 65

and t h e d r a m a t i c elements i n G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t t h a t t h e r e emerges

an u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e a n g u i s h which c o n f r o n t s him because h i s

work i s i n c a p a b l e o f c o m p l e t i o n and because what he has a c h i e v e d

i s i n s i g n i f i c a n t i n comparison t o what i s l e f t undone. The

a r t i s t ' s problem i n f a c i n g a c o l l e c t i o n o f o b j e c t s , a landscape

o r a human f i g u r e , a t l e a s t i n G i a c o m e t t i ' s t e r m s , i s t o d e p i c t

w i t h utmost f i d e l i t y what he sees. But h i s v i s i o n , as we have

d e t e r m i n e d , i s more t h a n a mere r e f e r e n c e t o s e n s u a l p e r c e p t i o n ,

i t i s t h e c u l m i n a t i o n o f a l i f e t i m e ' s e x p e r i e n c e and a t t i t u d e s

which c r i t i c a l l y o r g a n i z e t h e sensory f a c t s . Giacometti's

o r g a n i z a t i o n i s p a r t i c u l a r l y s u r p r i s i n g because h i s s e n s i b i l i t y

i s t h e e f f e c t o f contemporary awareness, s t r i p p e d o f a l l

c o n v e n t i o n s from t h e p a s t which e x p e r i e n c e has proven f a l s e o r

outmoded. I n o r d e r t o t r a n s l a t e t h e most r e l e v a n t a s p e c t s o f

his e x p e r i e n c e i n terms o f h i s s e n s i b i l i t y when r e - c r e a t i n g

the model, he has s t r i p p e d h i s a r t o f a l l i n c i d e n t a l s and o f

a l l t h e a c c i d e n t s o f human a c t i v i t y t o be f r e e t o c o n c e n t r a t e

on t h e e s s e n t i a l element o f human c o n f r o n t a t i o n . He i s l e f t
with distance, separation, a l i e n a t i o n ; a l l q u a l i t i e s which

w i l l f r u s t r a t e him i n e v e r a c h i e v i n g a t o t a l r e n d e r i n g o f t h e

human f i g u r e . To complete a f i g u r e G i a c o m e t t i must g e t c l o s e r

and c l o s e r , study i n d e t a i l and u n d e r s t a n d , whether i t i s body,

mind o r s o u l . But modern e x p e r i e n c e teaches t h a t so t o t a l a

c o n f r o n t a t i o n i s f o r e v e r d e n i e d , not o n l y t o t h e a r t i s t but a l s o

to e v e r y contemporary man. Man i n s t e a d w i l l be i s o l a t e d w i t h i n

his own space, i m p e n e t r a b l e by o t h e r s , i n e s c a p a b l e f o r h i m s e l f ,

 66

confined i n h i s solitude.

In m i d - c e n t u r y philosophical thought t h e r e i s no p l a c e

for certainty. There can o n l y be q u e s t i o n i n g and p r o b i n g into

the w o r l d o f e x p e r i e n c e w i t h l i t t l e hope o f s e c u r i n g c e r t a i n t y

o r knowledge. Such i s t h e o r d e r o f G i a c o m e t t i ' s artistic

q u e s t , and t h e i s o l a t i o n and a l i e n a t i o n o f h i s f i g u r e s betray

the h e s i t a n c y and t e n t a t i v e n e s s o f h i s answers. Contemporary

sensibility d e n i e s an anchor t o which man can a t t a c h h i s v a l u e s

and w i t h o u t such an anchor t h e r e can be no knowledge. Giacometti

speaks t h e t r u t h when he complains t h a t he has a c h i e v e d nothing

s i n c e as a boy he d i d h i s f i r s t b u s t . R e g a r d l e s s o f what e l s e

he may have a c h i e v e d , i f i t i s t r u t h and knowledge he seeks

about t h e human f i g u r e , he has not gone f a r towards defining

it. Inevitably he w i l l always f e e l an u n b r i d g e a b l e gap l y i n g

between i d e a l knowledge and t h e a c h i e v a b l e knowledge a l l o w e d by

h i s v i s i o n when s u b j e c t e d t o contemporary s t a n d a r d s o f s e l f -

criticism. The image o f t h e a c r o b a t i s indeed a p p r o p r i a t e .

 CHAPTER VI

The dilemma f a c e d by an a r t i s t l i k e G i a c o m e t t i f o r

whom a r t i s a quest f o r knowledge i s but one a s p e c t o f t h e

f i n i t u d e f a c i n g man i n a l l h i s a r e a s o f knowledge. Never has

an age been so s e l f - c o n s c i o u s and s e l f - a n a l y t i c a l as o u r s .

The consequence has been a d e m o l i t i o n o f a whole s e r i e s o f

a b s o l u t e s which i n p a s t ages had a c t e d a s f o u n d a t i o n s on which

man c o u l d base h i s r e l i g i o u s , p h i l o s o p h i c a l and s o c i a l s t r u c t u r e s .

The c o n s t a n t s e l f - q u e s t i o n i n g r e s u l t e d e v e n t u a l l y , not i n g r e a t e r

c e r t a i n t y and a s s u r a n c e , but i n man becoming aware o f t h e

f r a g i l i t y and c o n t i n g e n c y o f human l i f e , and o f t h e impotence

of reason i n face o f a c t u a l experience. Man came t o f e e l

s o l i t a r y and u n s h e l t e r e d as never b e f o r e i n a u n i v e r s e whose

p e r v a s i v e c h a r a c t e r became denoted as 'Nothingness.'

D u r i n g t h e Enlightenment and most o f t h e n i n e t e e n t h

c e n t u r y man's h o r i z o n s seemed w i t h o u t l i m i t . Today, on t h e

o t h e r hand, even what had been t h e e v e r - w i d e n i n g inclusive

system o f s c i e n c e i s c o n f r o n t e d w i t h human f i n i t u d e . Of t h e

methods o f i n v e s t i g a t i o n and systems o f thought on which man

had r e l i e d i n h i s quest f o r knowledge reason was one o f t h e f i r s t

t o go. Over a c e n t u r y and a h a l f ago Kant showed t h a t r e a s o n

i t s e l f was s u b j e c t t o i n e l u c t a b l e l i m i t s . A century later

psychology d i s c o v e r e d t h e i r r a t i o n a l , a most awkward o b s t a c l e

t o t h e use o f r e a s o n , which r e a s o n w i t h i t s own l i m i t a t i o n s

could not circumvent. Kant's c o n c l u s i o n s , which t h e n i n e t e e n t h

 68

c e n t u r y p o s i t i v i s t s managed t o o v e r l o o k , were caught up t o by

s c i e n c e i n the t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y . H e i s e n b e r g ' s P r i n c i p l e of

I n d e t e r m i n a n c y , Bohr's P r i n c i p l e o f Complementarity, Godel's

pronouncement t h a t mathematics c o n t a i n s i n s o l u b l e problems so

t h a t i t can n e v e r be f o r m a l i z e d i n t o a complete system: a l l

are e v i d e n c e t h a t the most advanced o f Western sciences,

mathematics and p h y s i c s , have become p a r a d o x i c a l . They have

a r r i v e d a t a s t a t e where they breed paradoxes f o r r e a s o n

itself. I f mathematics cannot a t t a i n complete systematization

i n mathematics, i t i s not l i k e l y t o r e a c h i t anywhere.

The d i s s o l u t i o n o f c e r t a i n t y found e q u a l s u p p o r t i n

philosophy. K i e r k e g a a r d , a c e n t u r y ago, s t a t e d t h a t no system

was p o s s i b l e f o r human knowledge. Heidegger's Being and Time,

a sombre, r i g o r o u s m e d i t a t i o n on human f i n i t u d e was published

i n 192 7, the same y e a r as H e i s e n b e r g ' s p r i n c i p l e . In diverse

a r e a s o f knowledge and i n v e s t i g a t i o n such p a r a l l e l . : e v e n t s ,

and o n l y a few examples are l i s t e d h e r e , a r e not m e a n i n g l e s s

c o i n c i d e n c e s but s i g n i f i c a n t i n d i c a t i o n o f t h e whole t r e n d o f

the twentieth century. From t h e i r f u l l i m p l i c a t i o n emerges

the image o f man i n a w o r l d denuded o f c e r t a i n t i e s . The hyper-

c r i t i c a l a t t i t u d e s o f contemporary man has l e d t o a r e t u r n t o

s o u r c e s , t o t h i n g s i n themselves ( H u s s e r l ) towards t r u t h f r e e d

from i n h e r i t e d p r e s u p p o s i t i o n s and empty f o r m s . 1

G i a c o m e t t i ' s a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e modern c r i t i c a l

a t t i t u d e has y i e l d e d t h e s t r i p p e d down t r u t h s o f h i s p a i n t e d

and s c u l p t e d f i g u r e s . The d e n i a l o f the empty a r t i s t i c c o n v e n t i o n s

o f t h e c u l t u r a l t r a d i t i o n and a r e t u r n t o man h i m s e l f , seen by

an emancipated v i s i o n , has r e v e a l e d t h e f i n i t u d e o f man's

knowledge about o t h e r men. Man has emerged as i r r e v o c a b l y

s e p a r a t e d from h i s f e l l o w and d e n i e d a n y t h i n g but t h e s c a n t e s t

knowledge about them. The a r t i s t i s doomed f o r e v e r from being

a l l o w e d t o r e a l i z e h i s g o a l o f knowledge about t h e e x t e r i o r

world.

I t was not u n t i l G i a c o m e t t i t h a t t h i s t o t a l d e n i a l o f

r e a l i z a t i o n was understood. W i t h i n a r t c r i t i c i s m , however,

r e a l i z a t i o n as a problem f i r s t g a i n e d r e c o g n i t i o n i n t h e

nineteenth century. B a l z a c ' s s h o r t s t o r y , Le Chef d'Oeuvre

2
Inconnu o f 18 32 i s a t a l e o f a p a i n t e r who had c o l l a t e d t h e

e x p e r i e n c e s o f a l i f e t i m e o f p a i n t i n g and f o r t e n y e a r s laboured

on h i s m a s t e r p i e c e which was t o be t h e p i n n a c l e o f p e r f e c t i o n i n

painting. When a t l a s t he b e l i e v e s h i m s e l f t o have a c h i e v e d

his g o a l he shows h i s p i c t u r e t o two younger p a i n t e r s who c a n

at f i r s t see n o t h i n g b u t "confused masses o f c o l o r and a

m u l t i t u d e o f f a n t a s t i c a l l i n e s t h a t go t o make a dead w a l l o f
3

paint." Only a f t e r a l o n g p e r u s a l do they n o t i c e i n a c o r n e r

of t h e p i c t u r e "a bare f o o t emerging from t h e chaos o f c o l o r s ,

h a l f - t i n t s and vague shadows t h a t made up t h e dim, formless

fog." I t dawned on them t h a t below t h e c o a t s o f p a i n t w i t h

which t h e p a i n t e r had o v e r l a i d h i s canvas i n s e a r c h f o r

p e r f e c t i o n t h e r e was a woman.

F r e n h o f e r , t h e p a i n t e r , had devoted i n t e n s e study t o

n a t u r e and g i v e n deep thought t o p a i n t i n g and had s u b s e q u e n t l y

 70

seen h i s main a r t i s t i c problem i n terms o f the p l a s t i c i t y o f

s o l i d s and sfumato. He had d i s c o v e r e d t h a t s o l i d s were not

s e p a r a t e d by l i n e s and had c o n s e q u e n t l y suffused his outlines

" w i t h a haze o f h a l f - t i n t s warm or g o l d e n , i n such a s o r t t h a t

you cannot l a y your f i n g e r on the e x a c t spot where background

and c o n t o u r s meet."^ I f the p a i n t i n g seemed b l u r r e d a t c l o s e -

up, i f one were o n l y t o s t e p back, the o b j e c t s o f the p i c t u r e

would a c q u i r e f i r m shape and stand out from one a n o t h e r , o r so

he b e l i e v e d . But what F r e n h o f e r saw was i n v i s i b l e even t o

other p a i n t e r s . He had produced n e i t h e r a c o n v i n c i n g nor a

recognizable representation.

B a l z a c i n h i s s t o r y had s e i z e d on the whole problem

o f r e a l i z a t i o n - as i t was understood i n the n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y -

a t i t s very b a s i s and a t i t s f i r s t appearance. The problem was

one o f s u b j e c t i v e s e e i n g , worked out i n i t s f u l l e s t i m p l i c a t i o n s

t o t h e p o i n t where t h e r e no l o n g e r was an o r d e r o f p e r c e p t i o n

common t o the a r t i s t and h i s a u d i e n c e . Balzac recognized that

i f the a r t i s t had become f o r c e d t o f a l l back on s u b j e c t i v i t y i n

h i s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e e x t e r n a l w o r l d , o f beauty and form;

i f t h e r e were no l o n g e r a b s o l u t e r u l e s o f r e f e r e n c e , i t was

p o s s i b l e t o r e a c h a p o i n t where c o n t a c t would c o m p l e t e l y be
6
l o s t between a r t i s t and a u d i e n c e .
Whereas the c r i t i c s o f the time r e c o g n i z e d
the problems i n v o l v e d i n a c h i e v i n g r e a l i s a t i o n ,
B a l z a c had a c t u a l l y c a l l e d i n q u e s t i o n i t s aims
and o b j e c t s , had demonstrated the a r t i s t ' s
t e c h n i q u e was f u n d a m e n t a l l y s u b j e c t i v e (which
he r e p r e s e n t e d as being the s e c r e t which
F r e n h o f e r had a n x i o u s l y c o n c e a l e d from everyone
 71

h i s whole l i f e through) even the f o u n d a t i o n s '

on which t o r e s t the p o s s i b i l i t y o f f u l f i l m e n t
no l o n g e r e x i s t e d ; o r a t l e a s t t h a t t h i s
f o u n d a t i o n had been g r e a t l y shaken and t h a t
i t would have t o be e s t a b l i s h e d under new
c o n d i t i o n s , namely by the a r t i s t s themselves
who would t e a c h the p u b l i c t o see i n t h e i r
own way (something f o r which t h e r e was no
precedent.) 7

The d i f f i c u l t y t h a t t h e s u b j e c t i v e element r a i s e d i n

r e g a r d t o r e a l i z a t i o n had not g e n e r a l l y been a problem f o r

the o l d m a s t e r s . As f a r as t h e y are concerned " i t i s s t i l l a

v a l i d axiom t h a t t h e i r a r t i s t i c i n t e n t i o n s c o i n c i d e d w i t h what

they ' r e a l i z e d ' i n t h e i r works and t h a t t h e s e i n t e n t i o n s can

g
be deduced o n l y through what t h e y r e a l i z e d . " Rubens, f o r
i n s t a n c e , thanks t o an a s s u r e d t r a d i t i o n , was q u i t e c e r t a i n of
what was intended by r e a l i z a t i o n and what i t had t o achieve.

"So f a r as v i s i b i l i t y , c l a r i t y and p e r f e c t i o n of p o r t r a y a l were

concerned, i d e a s about p i c t u r e s and works o f a r t as such were
9

f i x e d i n h i s day." For D e l a c r o i x , on the o t h e r hand, t h i s

p r e s e n t e d a problem he had t o s o l v e by h i m s e l f on the b a s i s of

his own conception o f the aims o f h i s a r t . A c r i t i c , Jean

Rousseau, i n 185 9 i n d i c a t e s how D e l a c r o i x ' s o l u t i o n s were

endangered and how t h e y were b e g i n n i n g t o escape the public's

understanding. The p i c t u r e s s u b m i t t e d t o the S a l o n by Delacroix,

the c r i t i c m a i n t a i n s , were showing s i g n s of o l d age. "The time

i s n e a r when, i f D e l a c r o i x does not get c u r e d , he w i l l wear

h i m s e l f out l i n k i n g up shades o f c o l o u r w i t h o u t w o r r y i n g what

t h e y may p o r t r a y ; he w i l l p a i n t bouquets i n which one can no

 72

longer f i n d flowers."

Castagnary's P h i l o s o p h i e du S a l o n de 185 7 g i v e s t h e

most p r e c i s e d e f i n i t i o n o f ' r e a l i z a t i o n ' as i t a p p l i e d t o t h e

nineteenth century:

A r e a l i z e d work i s , on t h e b a s i s o f t h e i d e a
c o n t a i n e d i n i t and i t s outward form, n o t a
copy and a l s o not a p a r t i a l i m i t a t i o n o f n a t u r e
but a q u i t e e x t r a o r d i n a r y s u b j e c t i v e p r o d u c t i o n ,
the outcome and t h e e x p r e s s i o n o f a p u r e l y
personal conception.
The a r t i s t m a t e r i a l i z e s and c o n c r e t i z e s h i s
p e r s o n a l c o n c e p t i o n o f beauty t o c o r r e s p o n d
t o t h e p a r t i c u l a r forms o f h i s a r t .

A r t i s simply the . r e a l i z a t i o n of i n d i v i d u a l
e x p r e s s i o n under t h e supreme c o n t r o l o f a
c o n c e p t i o n o f beauty and by means o f t h e
i n f i n i t e number o f d i f f e r i n g b a s i c forms
which n a t u r e o f f e r s . H

The achievement o f r e a l i z a t i o n i s t o r e a c h a p o i n t o f

c o n f l u e n c e where come t o g e t h e r t h e a r t i s t ' s s u b j e c t i v e a t t i t u d e

towards t h e w o r l d around him, h i s c o n c e p t i o n o f t h i s attitude

i n terms o f an i d e a , u n i v e r s a l and i n h e r e n t o f what i s b e a u t i f u l ,

and t h e complete e x p r e s s i o n o f these by means o f t h e n e c e s s a r y ,

appropriate a r t i s t i c style.

A v i t a l a s p e c t o f t h e problem o f r e a l i z a t i o n i s t h e

d i s c o v e r y o f t h e a r t i s t i c means whereby t h e a r t i s t ' s s u b j e c t i v e

c o n c e p t i o n a c h i e v e s f u l l e x p r e s s i o n on a u n i v e r s a l p l a n e o f

communication. T h i s i s where F r e n h o f e r f a i l e d , and i n B a l z a c ' s

i m a g i n a t i o n he r e p r e s e n t e d t h e p a i n t e r f u l l o f t h e h i g h e s t aims,

but i n c a p a b l e o f t r a n s c r i b i n g c o n v i n c i n g l y t o t h e canvas what was

 73

i n h i s mind and what he a c t u a l l y 'saw.'

Ce'zanne throughout h i s l i f e i d e n t i f i e d h i m s e l f w i t h

F r e n h o f e r , and t h i s p r e c i s e l y because the l a t t e r was an a r t i s t

12
of i n t e n t i o n r a t h e r than r e a l i z a t i o n . Z o l a , i n the d r a f t f o r
L' Qeuvre, d e s c r i b e s Cezanne as "un genie i n c o m p l e t , sans l a
13 /
r e a l i s a t i o n e n t i e r e " , and Cezanne c o n c u r r e d f u l l y " t h a t he

achieved r e a l i z a t i o n o n l y i n h i s mind, and t h a t l i k e Claude o f

t h e n o v e l "he d i d not succeed i n b r i n g i n g out t h e remainder, i n

making i t stand o u t , he d i d not know how t o conclude o r finish."

Cezanne's c o n c e p t i o n of r e a l i z a t i o n was c l o s e l y bound

up w i t h n a t u r e : " I n o r d e r t o r e a l i z e my p r o g r e s s there i s only

nature." He w r i t e s of "the o b s t i n a c y w i t h which I pursue the

r e a l i z a t i o n of t h a t p a r t of n a t u r e which comes under our eyes

and g i v e s us the p i c t u r e " and c o n t i n u e s " I must r e a l i z e i n the

presence of n a t u r e . " A n o t h e r statement g i v e s fuller

expression-:to what he i n t e n d e d t o r e a l i z e i n a r t :
my s k e t c h e s , my c a n v a s e s , i f I made any,
would be m e r e l y t h i n g s c o n s t r u c t e d a f t e r
n a t u r e , based on the means, the f e e l i n g s
and the developments suggested by the
model.15

Such words as ' c o n s t r u c t e d ' i n d i c a t e s t h a t h i s r o l e as an artist

was not t o reproduce the appearance o f n a t u r e as p e r c e i v e d by

the o b s e r v e r . Nature was t o serve o n l y as a s t a r t i n g p o i n t

upon which the c o n s t r u c t i o n of h i s p i c t u r e s would be based.

Nature was t o be s u b j e c t e d t o " i n t e l l i g e n t o b s e r v a t i o n " and

seen t h r o u g h a p e r s o n a l temperament i n o r d e r t o d i s c o v e r i t s
 74

e s s e n t i a l c h a r a c t e r and s p i r i t . Cezanne s e t i n t o p l a y h i s

" s e n s a t i o n f o r t e de l a n a t u r e " which enabled him t o p e r c e i v e

m e a n i n g f u l i n t e r r e l a t i o n s h i p s between t h i n g s seen, whose

. 16
s p i r i t u a l c o n t e n t he never mentioned i n a c t u a l words. This
a s s u r e d him o f a " m e t a p h y s i c a l v i s i o n " which saw n a t u r e s t r i p p e d

of a c c i d e n t s and t e m p o r a l i t y and e l e v a t e d t o a h i g h e r s t a t e o f

permanency and harmony.

The view o f t h e w o r l d i n i t s h i g h e r s t a t e represented

the i d e a l a c c o r d i n g t o which Cezanne would c o n s t r u c t h i s

p i c t u r e s : i n terms o f p l a s t i c v a l u e s , c o l o r s c a l e s , shadow paths

and d i s t r i b u t i o n o f masses. Within t h i s primary s t r u c t u r e as a

whole, t h e next stage o f work was t h e r e a l i z a t i o n o f t h e

i n d i v i d u a l forms - t r e e s , mountains, houses, , f r u i t s , human beings

- whose shapes had t o e v o l v e i n terms o f t h e b a s i c s t r u c t u r a l

pattern. H i s view o f t h e "permanent, u n a l t e r a b l e r e l a t i o n s h i p s

which p e r s i s t e d i n t h e w o r l d t h r o u g h l o n e l i n e s s and t i m e l i n e s s ...

17
the s t a b i l i t y of existence" c o u l d be expressed o n l y by

r e l a t i n g i n a r e c o g n i z a b l e way t h e r e a l w o r l d as g e n e r a l l y under-

stood and t h e shape o f i t s o b j e c t s , p e r i s h a b l e and s u b j e c t t o

change, t o t h e m e t a p h y s i c a l construction. T h i s was e s s e n t i a l

s i n c e Cezanne s t r o v e t o e x p r e s s , not merely a s e t o f s u b j e c t i v e

f e e l i n g s , b u t t o s t a t e a t r u t h about t h e w o r l d . Consequently

his r e p r e s e n t a t i o n s o f t h e r e a l w o r l d must be i n c l u d e d w i t h i n

his p o r t r a y a l o f t r u t h ; t h e i n d i v i d u a l o b j e c t s must be made t o

s i g n i f y something l a s t i n g and i n d e s t r u c t i b l e .

From n a t u r e Ce'zanne d e r i v e d both h i s i d e a , h i s met a.-

 75

p h y s i c a l v i s i o n , and h i s means o f r e a l i z i n g h i s p i c t u r e s - t h e

l a t t e r e v e n t u a l l y reduced t o a concern w i t h t h e changing inter-

relationships of colors i n solids. I t was here t h a t Cezanne's

d i f f i c u l t i e s o f r e a l i z a t i o n a r o s e : t h e source o f h i s c o n t i n u a l

c o m p l a i n t was how d i f f i c u l t i t was t o c a p t u r e t h e s e means which

had t o be observed i n n a t u r e h e r s e l f . He c o u l d n o t b e g i n w i t h

a c o n c e p t i o n o f t h e s t r u c t u r e and form o f h i s p i c t u r e (unlike

t h o s e a r t i s t s who work towards i d e a l s and f i n d t h e f o r m a l means

for t h e i r p o r t r a y a l i n ready-made c o n c e p t i o n s ) . Cezanne c o u l d

f i n d h i s i d e a s o n l y i n t h e p r o c e s s o f working d i r e c t l y from

nature. " F o r p r o g r e s s i n r e a l i z a t i o n t h e r e i s o n l y n a t u r e and

18
t h e eye d e v e l o p s i n c o n t a c t w i t h h e r . "

To have attempted t o e l u c i d a t e t h e essence o f Cezanne's

a r t i s t i c problem i s t o have performed t h e same t a s k w i t h

Giacometti's. The s i m i l a r i t y o f t h e i r concerns and approaches

i s v i t a l evidence that the l a t t e r ' s a r t i s a d i r e c t out-growth

of Cezanne's. Whether i n f r o n t o f n a t u r e o r i n f r o n t o f t h e

model i n t h e s t u d i o , t h e p r o c e s s i s t h e same: both eye and mind

l e a r n t o see t h r o u g h a c o n s t a n t d i a l o g u e between model, mind

and t h e b r u s h on canvas as c o n t r o l l e d by t h e a r t i s t . The

concept o f t h e b e a u t i f u l o r t h e t r u e e v o l v e s from brush s t r o k e

t o b r u s h s t r o k e and from canvas t o canvas, as does t h e

r e a l i z a t i o n o f means whereby t o d e p i c t t h e s e u l t i m a t e i d e a s .

P r o g r e s s i s slow because t h e r e a r e no s t a n d a r d s ; e v e r y t h i n g has

to be begun a f r e s h , based on d i r e c t c o n t a c t w i t h t h e t h i n g s i n

themselves.
 76

Both a r t i s t s c o n c e i v e o f t h e i r s u b j e c t i n terms of

u n i t y and oneness and attempt t o i n c l u d e the m u l t i p l i c i t y of

d e t a i l within that unity. Both are concerned w i t h the

e l a b o r a t i o n of what i s t r u e i n what he sees. Neither i s

concerned w i t h merely i n d i v i d u a l views o f r e a l i t y , but w i t h f a r -

r e a c h i n g a s s e r t i o n s o f an o b j e c t i v e n a t u r e which w i l l r e v e a l

something e s s e n t i a l about the e x t e r i o r w o r l d . Both r e f e r

d i r e c t l y to nature f o r raw m a t e r i a l from which t o shape t h e i r

i d e a s and base t h e i r means o f r e a l i z i n g them, and both approach

r e a l i z a t i o n as a c o n s i s t e n t p r o c e s s o f q u e s t i o n and response

between model and canvas. Nevertheless, f o r Giacometti

r e a l i z a t i o n i s more complex a problem.

According t o N i e t z s c h e , i n a l l human c r e a t i v e a c t i v i t y

the i m p o r t a n t t h i n g i s whether the s t i m u l u s s p r i n g s from an

abundance of s p i r i t u a l r e s o u r c e s o r from t h e i r l a c k , and hence

19
a need and l o n g i n g f o r them. Cezanne s t i l l p r e s e r v e d unbroken
20

his l i n k w i t h the m e t a p h y s i c a l world. I f the r e a l i z a t i o n o f

his i d e a s c o u l d be a c h i e v e d o n l y from a c o n t i n u a l and direct

study of n a t u r e , h i s c o n c e p t i o n of the w o r l d as e x i s t i n g t h r o u g h

t h i n g s " s t a n d i n g t o g e t h e r " i n permanency and harmony had priority

i n h i s mind as a b a s i c b e l i e f which shaped the c o n s t r u c t i o n of

his canvas from the f i r s t s t r o k e o f the b r u s h . Giacometti, on

the o t h e r hand, begins w i t h p o v e r t y o f s p i r i t . H i s age has

a l l o w e d him no m e t a p h y s i c a l c e r t a i n t y , o r any o t h e r c e r t a i n t y

for t h a t m a t t e r , on which t o base h i s a r t ; he i s i n q u e s t o f i t .

•If h i s p r i m a r y c o n c e r n i s " t o do a head," he does not i n any way

 77

know what a head i s o r what i t should be. His only reference

p o i n t i s t h e t h i n g i n i t s e l f w i t h which he must conduct h i s

dialogue.

In t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y u n d e r s t a n d i n g of realization

i t i s p o s s i b l e t o a n t i c i p a t e t h e achievement o f r e a l i z a t i o n .

Cezanne i s a l l o w e d r a p p o r t w i t h a n a t u r e which e v e n t u a l l y w i l l

r e v e a l i t s s e c r e t s which t h e a r t i s t w i l l a p p r o p r i a t e i n o r d e r

to f i n d means t o f i n i s h h i s p a i n t i n g . T h i s i s p r e c i s e l y what

Giacometti i s denied. H i s model, t h e t h i n g i n i t s e l f , will

r e v e a l only i t s otherness, i t s d i s t a n c e , i t s a l i e n a t i o n and

t h e a r t i s t ' s e t e r n a l s e p a r a t i o n from t h e d i s c o v e r y o f i t s

essence.

He i s f r u s t r a t e d n o t o n l y i n f i n d i n g a r t i s t i c means

whereby t o express h i s i d e a s as t o what a head i s , he i s as

w e l l denied even t h e comfort o f o b t a i n i n g such i d e a s . The

e t e r n a l s e p a r a t i o n o f a r t i s t and model makes r e a l i z a t i o n i n

G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t i n h e r e n t l y i m p o s s i b l e , both as a r e a l i z a t i o n

i n t h e mind and as a p r o d u c t i n material. H i s a r t has reached

a total impasse.
 CONCLUSIONS

The d e s i r e o f a r t t o r e - c r e a t e i t s model when i t has

no a c c e s s t o t h e model: t h i s i s t h e impasse o f G i a c o m e t t i ' s

art. The i m p l a c a b l e r o u t i n e w i t h which p a t i e n t l y , f o r o v e r

t h i r t y y e a r s , he s t u d i e d t h e same few models day a f t e r day i n

o r d e r t o d i s c o v e r t h e t r u e n a t u r e o f t h e i r b e i n g and t h e n

t r a n s f e r t h e i r ' l i k e n e s s ' onto canvas o r i n t o s c u l p t u r e

yielded only f a i l u r e . With a c r i t i c a l l y a l e r t mind he s t r i p p e d

h i s v i s i o n o f t h e outmoded s c r e e n o f c u l t u r e which t r a d i t i o n

had i n t e r p o s e d between h i s eyes and t h e model; i n o r d e r t o see

anew and w i t h o u t p r e c o n c e p t i o n t h e o b j e c t s and people he wanted

to p a i n t . But c o n t r a r y t o e x p e c t a t i o n s , t o f r e e h i s mind from

conventional h a b i t s of organizing perception d i d not y i e l d

e i t h e r a c l e a r e r v i s i o n o r a s u r e r knowledge o f t h e model, on

which he c o u l d base h i s work. What he d i s c o v e r e d , on t h e

c o n t r a r y , was t h e i m p e n e t r a b l e d i s t a n c e which always l a y between

the a r t i s t and the.model he was working from; and h i s a r t , which

was d i r e c t e d towards a b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g of the e x t e r i o r

w o r l d , c o u l d n o t deny t h i s q u a l i t y o f d i s t a n c e which was an

inescapable part of the a r t i s t ' s v i s u a l experience. Distance,

however, denied t h e i n t i m a t e r a p p o r t e s s e n t i a l t o G i a c o m e t t i i n

o r d e r t o s u c c e s s f u l l y r e - c r e a t e h i s model i n a r t ; a problem

which became no s i m p l e r i f he c o n c e n t r a t e d h i s a t t e n t i o n on t h e

gaze o f t h e e y e s , t h e source o f l i f e i n t h e human f a c e . Here i t

became p a t e n t l y e v i d e n t t h a t n o t h i n g c e r t a i n c o u l d be known about

 79

the model, whose e x i s t e n c e was always o u t s i d e beyond o n e s e l f .

The n o n - e x p r e s s i v e , i n n e r - d i r e c t e d , empty, i m p e n e t r a b l e stare

yielded nothing. In both t h e p h y s i c a l and p s y c h o l o g i c a l

spheres an u n b r i d g e a b l e d i s t a n c e s e p a r a t e d a r t i s t and model.

I n e a r l i e r ages o f the a r t i s t i c t r a d i t i o n , G i a c o m e t t i

c o u l d have r e f e r r e d t o a number o f accepted r e l i g i o u s and

m e t a p h y s i c a l t r u t h s i n terms o f which i t would have been

p o s s i b l e t o complete a work o f a r t . But G i a c o m e t t i p a r t a k e s

o f the s e l f - c r i t i c a l a t t i t u d e o f contemporary thought which

has s t r i p p e d h i s i n t e l l e c t u a l m i l i e u o f such e s t a b l i s h e d

a b s o l u t e s , wherefore he c o n s e q u e n t l y must f a c e an i n h e r e n t

u n c e r t a i n t y and f i n i t u d e i n whatever be h i s a r e a o f r e s e a r c h .

His twentieth-century s e n s i b i l i t y , w h i c h i n contact with other

men has experienced only separation and a l i e n a t i o n , denies

him t h a t i n t i m a t e knowledge o f man w i t h o u t which h i s a r t must

remain i n c o m p l e t e . L i k e Cezanne, who towards the end o f h i s

l i f e s a i d , "I'm making experiments - experiments towards

painting," 1
G i a c o m e t t i cannot f o r e s e e a c h i e v i n g a completed,

d e f i n i t i v e work. Each p a i n t i n g o r s c u l p t u r e i s but a t e n t a t i v e

g e s t u r e i n the d i r e c t i o n o f c o m p l e t i o n , but c o m p l e t i o n itself

i s impossible.

G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t , which d i r e c t s i t s e f f o r t s towards

b e t t e r s e e i n g and towards l e a r n i n g about the e x t e r i o r w o r l d ,

even i f i t i s a f a i l u r e i n the a r t i s t ' s own terms i s not a

f a i l u r e f o r the s p e c t a t o r . Manifest i n Giacometti's sculptures

and p a i n t i n g s i s t h e p o i g n a n t e x p r e s s i o n o f man's i s o l a t i o n and

 80

a l i e n a t i o n - and h i s d i g n i t y - which o f f e r s a depth of

e x p e r i e n c e comparable t o what p r e v i o u s ages o b t a i n e d from t h e i r

great r e l i g i o u s or i d e a l i s t i c a r t . I n the a r t i s t ' s terms,

however, h i s p a i n t i n g and s c u l p t u r e must f i n a l l y be judged an

a c r o b a t i c f e a t , t h w a r t e d i n i t s f u l f i l m e n t by human f i n i t u d e .

The a c r o b a t f o r a l i f e t i m e s t r i v e s each day t o do j u s t a little

b e t t e r u n t i l one day, i f he i s a j u g g l e r , he can perform the

i m p o s s i b l e t r i c k o f making a b a l l s t a n d s t i l l i n the a i r . This

i s h i s u l t i m a t e g o a l , though he knows t h a t were he t o succeed

and defy the laws o f n a t u r e and become f r e e and a l l - p o w e r f u l

i n h i s a r t , h i s a r t would d i e . S t i l l he l o n g s f o r t h a t day,

as G i a c o m e t t i a w a i t s t h e moment when f i n a l l y he can do a human

head, f o r t h e n he w i l l never a g a i n have to- do a n o t h e r . But

one day b o t h a c r o b a t and a r t i s t d i e , t h e i r i d e a l s u n a t t a i n e d .

I d e a l s so h i g h a s s u r e i n e v i t a b l e f a i l u r e . To a

contemporary s e n s i b i l i t y , p l a g u e d by a f i n i t u d e i n a l l human

a c t i v i t i e s , the p u r s u i t o f them u l t i m a t e l y i s l u d i c r o u s . And

now t h a t the i n h e r e n t impasse i n the p u r s u i t has a c h i e v e d i t s

c l i m a c t i c e x p r e s s i o n i n G i a c o m e t t i ' s a r t , who w i l l continue 1

his researches? U n t i l a r t a g a i n can t r a c e i t s p a t h t o new

r e f e r e n c e p o i n t s w h i c h are t r u e and a b s o l u t e , i t can o n l y end

in failure. U n t i l t h e n , a r t , u n d e r s t o o d i n terms o f the

acrobat's i d e a l , i s a f u t i l e gesture.
 FOOTNOTES

CHAPTER I

1 See Georges Limbourg, "Giacometti, "Magazine of_Art.

v o l . fcL no. ? (November 19^8), p. 25^.
t

2 Hugh Kenner, Samuel Beckett^ A gritloal_Stttdg;. New

York, Grove, 196l, pp. 33-3^.
3 Loo.cit.
k Samuel Beckett and Georges Duthuit, "Three Dialogues,"
Samuel Beckett. A C o l l e c t i o n of C r i t i c a l Essays, ed. Martin
E s s l i n , Englewood C l i f f s , Prentice~HalT7~ 1965, pp. 16-22.
Also see Kenner, op.clt., pp. 28-3^.

5 Ibid., pp. 16-17.

6 Ibid., pp. 17-19.
7 Ibid., pp. 19-22.
8 Kenner, op.cit.. p. 30. The plays referred to are
Beckett's Waiting f o r Godot and End Game.

9 Ibid., p. 31.
10 Beckett and Duthuit, op.cit.. p. 21.
11 Ibid., pp. 19, 22.
12 Samuel Beckett, Molloy. Malone Dies, The Unnamable,.
New York, Grove, 1965» pp. 6 9 - 7 ~
13 James Lord, A Giacometti P o r t r a i t . New York, The
Museum of Modern Art,~p7~56^

14 From a l e t t e r printed i n The V i l l a g e Voice. March

1958; c i t e d i n E s s l i n , o p . c l t . . p. 1.

15 "At the Louvre with Giacometti," Encounter, v o l . XXVI,

no. 3 (March 1966), pp. 3*1-40. An Interview with Pierre
Schneider.
 82

16 Alan Bowness, Modern Sculpture. New York, Dutton

V i s t a , 1965, p. 7.
17 Kurt Badt, The Art of Cezanne, trans. Sheila Ann
O g i l v i e , Berkeley, University of C a l i f o r n i a Press, 1965*
p. 29.

CHAPTER I I

1 Palma B u c a r e l l i , Giacometti. Rome, E d i t a l i a , 196"2.

Jacques Dupin, Alberto Giacometti. P a r i s , Maeght, 196*2.
i

2 See quoted texts i n Chapter I I I , footnotes no. k, 5«

3 Jean-Paul Sartre, "The Paintings of Giacometti, and w

"The Quest f o r the Absolute," i n Essays i n Aesthetics, trans.

Wade Baskin, New York, C i t a d e l , 1963.

k Ibid .. p. 57.

5 B u c a r e l l i , op. c i t . . p. 8.

6 Kramer, op. c i t . , p. 5k.

7 B u c a r e l l i , op. c i t . . pp. 70-72.

8 Ibid., p. 8.
9 Jean-Paul Sartre, Saint Genet. Cornealen et Martyr,
P a r i s , Gallimard, 1952.

10 Kramer, op. c i t . , p. 5k.

11 Dupin, op. c i t . , p. 15.

12 Alberto Giacometti, Un sculpteur vu par un sculpteur:
M

Henri Laurens, "Labyrlnthe,"no. k (January 15, 19^5)» P» 3»

13 Alberto Giacometti, "Derain," D e r r l e r s l e Mlrolr , no.

9V95 (February - March 1957), p. 8.
Ik Kramer also indicates two post-war a r t i s t s who have
shared with comparable achievements Giacometti s e f f o r t s "to
1

restore the v i a b i l i t y of the French t r a d i t i o n . " Etlenne

Hajdu and the l a t e Nicolas de Staftl "were moved by a similar
a s p i r a t i o n no matter how d i f f e r e n t i n style t h e i r work may
be from Giacometti*s." Op. c i t . p. 56.

15 "At the Louvre with Giacometti," op.cit., p.37.

 83
16 I b i d . , p . 38.

17 I b i d . , p . 3^.

18 See K r a m e r , o p . c i t . , p . 56.

CHAPTER I I I

1 Alberto Giacometti, "Letter t o Pierre Matisse," 19^-7.

C i t e d i n T h e Museum o f M o d e r n A r t , A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i ,
e x h i b i t i o n c a t a l o g u e , New Y o r k , 19&5, p . 2 6 .

2 Loc. c i t .

3 A l b e r t o Giacometti, quoted i n G a l e r i e Beyeler, A l b e r t o

G i a c o m e t t i , e x h i b i t i o n c a t a l o g u e , B a s e l , 196^, o p p . p l a t e 87-
The q u o t e d t e x t s a r e t a k e n f r o m c o n v e r s a t i o n s o f A n d r e
P a r i n a u d w i t h G i a c o m e t t i , A r t s , n o . 873, J u n e 19^2.

k I b i d . , opp. p l a t e 99.

5 Loc. c i t .

6 I b i d . , opp. p l a t e 99a.

7 "Letter...," o p . c i t . p . 62.

8 Galerie B e y e l e r , o p . c i t . , opp. p l a t e 3.

9 "Letter...," op.olt.. pp. 1^-29.

10 D u p i n , o p . c i t . , o p p . p . 33«

11 Q u o t a t i o n i n t h i s p a r a g r a p h f r o m " L e t t e r . . . , " op.cit.,

p. 1 8 .

12 D u p i n , o p . c i t . , o p p . p . *J-0.

13 "Letter...," o p . c i t . , p . 26.

CHAPTER I V

1 The u s u a l E n g l i s h t r a n s l a t i o n o f • r e s s e m b l a n c e i s
1

•likeness. 1
S e e D a v i d S y l v e s t e r , "The R e s i d u e o f a V i s i o n , "
The A r t s C o u n c i l o f G r e a t B r i t a i n , A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i ,
e x h i b i t i o n c a t a l o g u e , L o n d o n , 1965. ~
 84

2 See quote to footnote no. 13, Chapter I I .

3 "Letter...," op.clt., p. 26.

4 "Entretlen avec Alberto Giacometti," Georges Char-

bonnier, Le monologue du pelntre, P a r i s , J u i l l a r d , 1959»
p. 172.
5 "The a r t of painting should consist solely of the
representation of objects v i s i b l e to the artist....Beauty
i s i n nature.... i t i s r e a l and v i s i b l e , l t has i t s own
a r t i s t i c expression. But the a r t i s t has not the right to
amplify that expression. He cannot touch i t without r i s k of
changing i t s nature and consequently of weakening i t . Cited
i n Charles Gauss, The Aesthetic Theories of French A r t i s t s ,
1855 to the present. Baltimore, Johns~Hopkins, 19^9, p. 10.

6 Cited i n Charbonnier, op.clt.. p. 172.

7 Cited i n Carlton Lake, "The Wisdom of Giacometti,"

A t l a n t i c Monthly, v o l . 26, no. 3 (September 1965), p. 123.

8 Cited i n Douglas H a l l , "Giacometti," The Masters, no.

48: 4, 1966.

9 Cited i n Charbonnier, o p . c l t . . pp. 179-180.

10 H a l l , l o c . c i t .

11 See Satre, i b i d . , pp. 47-48.

12 Michel L e i r i s , i n Galerie Beyeler, o p . c i t . . opp.

plate 1.

13 Lord, o p . c l t . . p. 22.

14 Compare H.W. Janson, History of A r t . Englewood C l i f f s ,

Prentice-Hall, 1963, f i g . 1257~T"Kouros," c. 600 B.C.) and
Museum of Modern A r t , op.clt., p. 65. (Woman," 1953)*

15 "At the Louvre...," o p . c l t . . p. 34.

16 Giacometti here borrows two basic terms i n Andre

Malraux»s theory of a r t : •vision* i s ordinary perception,
and 'style* implies invention, subjectivity and non-imitation
as primary elements i n c r e a t i v i t y . See Ibid., footnote p. 36.
1
7 Ibid., pp. 36-37.
18 Ibid., p. 37.
 85

19 Cited i n Galerie B e y e l e r , o p . c i t . , opp. p l a t e 8?.

20 L l o n e l l o V e n t u r l , C e z a n n e s o n a r t , son oeuvre, 2
t

v o l . , P a r i s , 1936, v o l . 1, p7~53« C i t e d i n Gauss, o p ^ l t . ,

p . 4-0.

21 Gauss, o p . c i t . , p. 40.

22 Cited i n Charbonnier, o p . c i t . , p. 175.

23 Badt, o p . c i t . , p. 29.

CHAPTER V

1 P a u l Ce'zanne, " L e t t e r t o B e r n a r d , " A p r i l 15, 1904.

Cited i n G a u s s , o p . c i t . , p . 46.

2 Kramer, o p . c i t . , p. 55«

3 I s a k u Y a n a i h a r a , "Pages de J o u r n a l , " D e r r l e r e l e
m i r o i r , n o . 127, May 196l, p p . 20-21. T r a n s l a t e d f r o m t h e
Japanese.

4- L o r d , o p . c i t . , p . 23.

5 Cited i n Sylvester, 05.olt.

6 See S a r t r e , op.cit. t p. 87.

7 Loc. cit.

8 Museum o f Modern A r t , o p . o l t . . p . 69; A r t s C o u n c i l o f

G r e a t B r i t a i n , o j ^ c i t . , p l a t e 287~A p h o t o g r a p h , o f c o u r s e ,
c a n n o t c o n v e y the~phenomena o f t h e d i s a p p e a r a n c e o f d e t a i l
a s one draws n e a r a G i a c o m e t t i s c u l p t u r e . T h e p h o t o g r a p h
i n h e r e n t l y s e p a r a t e s u s f r o m t h e f i g u r e by t h e a b s o l u t e
d i s t a n c e between i t and t h e p h o t o g r a p h e r .

9 Galerie Beyeler, op.cit., plate 64.

10 Dupin, o p . c i t . , p . 23; Lake, op.cit. t p. 125.

11 Galerie B e y e l e r , o p . c i t . , opp. p l a t e 39.

12 I b i d . , opp. p l a t e 38.

13 Loc. cit.
 86

CHAPTER VI

1 See William Barrett, Irrational Man. Garden City,

Doubleday-Anchor, 1 9 6 2 , pp. 36-517
2 Honore de Balzac, "The Unknown Masterpiece," The
Quest of the Absolute and other stories, trans. Ellen
Marriage, Boston, Dana Estes, 1 9 0 1 .
3 I b i d . , p. 2 3 7 .
4 Loc. c l t .
5 I b i d . , p. 224.
6 See Badt, o p . c i t . , pp. 195-226. to whom I am much
Indebted for his discussion of "The Problem of •Realization . 1

7 I b i d . , pp. 203-204.
8 I b i d . , p. 2 0 0 .
9 I b i d . . p. 2 0 9 .
10 Jean Rousseau, Le Figaro, May 1 0 , 1 8 5 9 . Cited in Bad*,
q p . c l t . . p. 2 0 9 .
11 Cited in Badt, op_ cit., p. 2 0 0 .
i

12 According to Emile Bernard, Souvenirs sur Paul

Cezanne. Paris, 1 9 2 4 , p. 4 4 . See Badt, op.clt.,"p. 2 1 1 . There
is a drawing "Frenhofer showing his Work," by Cezanne, Badt,
plate 3 4 , which clearly is a self-portrait.
13 Emile Zola, "Preliminary Notes to LlOeuvre," 1 8 7 9 .
Cited in Badt, o p . c i t . . p. 2 1 0 .
14 Emile Zola, L'Oeuvre. Cited in Badt, o p . c l t . , p. 211.
15 Cited in Badt, o p . c l t . . pp. 212-213.
16 I b i d . , p. 215.

17 Ibld'> P« 2 1
^«
18 Cited in i b i d . , p. 215.
19 I b i d . , p. 3 2 .
20 Loc. c i t .
 87

CONCLUSION

1 C i t e d i n Lake, o p . c l t . , p. 126
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

I WRITINGS AND STATEMENTS BY GIACOMETTI

(arranged chronologically)

"Objets mobiles et muets." Le Surreallsme au service

de l a revolution, no. 3 T T 8 - I 9 , December 193 "! 1

"Charbon d'herbe; Poeme en 7 espaces; Le Rideau brun."

Le Surreallsme au service de l a revolution, no. 5 : 1 5 ,
May 1933. "
"Hier, sables mouvants." Le Surreallsme au service de l a
revolution, no. 5:44-45, May 1933.

"Re'ponse a *Recherches experimental es sur l a connaissance

i r r a t i o n a l e de l o b j e t . Le Surreallsme au service de
, , M

l a revolution, no. 6:10-127 May"l9337

"Reponse a une enquete d*Andre Breton et Paul Eluard:

»Pouvez-vous d i r e q u e l l e a ete l a rencontre capitale de
v

votre vie? Jusqu'a quel point cette rencontre vous donne-

t - e l l e 1*impression du f o r t u l t , du necessaire!? w

Minotaure, v o l . 1, no. 3 / 4 : 1 0 9 , December 1933.

[Notes on the Palace at 4 A.M.]. Minotaure, no. 3/4:46,

December 1933. ~ "
Published i n English t r a n s l a t i o n as 1+1=3.
n w
l^ans/
formation, v o l . 1, no. 3 : 1 6 5 - 1 6 6 , 1952.

"Dialogue: Andre Breton et Alberto Giacometti." Documents,

no. 1:25, June 1934.

"Henry Laurens: Un sculpteur vu par un sculpteur." Labyrinthe,

no. 4 : 3 , January 15, 1945.

"A propos de Jacques C a l l o t . " Labyrinthe, no. 7 : 3 , April 15,

1945.

"Alberto Giacometti: sculptures et dessins recents." Cahlers

dVArt, 1945-46, pp. 253-268.

"Le Reve, l e sphinx et l a mort de T." Labyrinthe, no. 2 2 : 1 2 - 1 3 ,

December 2 3 , 1946.
 89

" L e t t r e a P i e r r e M a t i s s e . " I n New Y o r k . P i e r r e M a t i s s e

Gallery. Alberto Giacometti.Exhibition of Sculptures r

p a l n t i n g s „ d r a w i n g s . J a n u a r y 19-February 14, 1958". ~

" L e t t e r t o P i e r r e M a t i s s e . " I n New Y o r k . P i e r r e M a t i s s e
G a l l e r y . A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . November 1950.

"Temolgnages. L*espace ." XXe s i e e l e , no. 2:71-72, J a n u a r y

1952.

" G r i s , b r u n , n o i r . " D e r r i e r e _ 1 e _ M l r o l r . no. 49/49:2-3, 6-7,

J u n e - J u l y 1952.
On Braque.

"Sur l ' l t a l l e . " V e r v e , v o l . 7, no. 26/27, December 1953.

"Drawings by G i a c o m e t t i a f t e r Cimabue and Cezanne." V e r v e ,

v o l . 7, no. 27/28:33-34, J a n u a r y 15, 1953.

" D e r a i n . " D e r r i e r e l e m l r o l r , no. 94/95:7-10, F e b r u a r y - M a r c h

1957.
"Repons^ a une enquete de P i e r r e V o l b o u d t : a chacun s a
re'alite'." X X e _ s i e c l e , no. 9?35, June 1957.

"La v o i t u r e d e m y s t i f ie'e." A r t s , no. 639:1-4, October 1957.

S c h r i f t e n , F o t o s , Zelchnunffen; E s s a l s , p h o t o s , d e s s l n s . Ed.
~~ ~ E r n s t S c h e i d e g g e r . Z u r i c h , P e t e r S c h i f f e r l i V e r l a g s AG,
1958.

" E n t r e t i e n avec Georges C h a r b o n n i e r . " L e monologue du

p e i n t r e . P a r i s , J u i l l a r d , 1959, v o l . 1, pp. 159-83.
Statements . I n S e l z , P e t e r . New Images o f Man. New Y o r k ,
Museum o f Modern A r t , 1959, p7~6*87

"Conversation w i t h G i a c o m e t t i . " A r t i n A m e r i c a , no. 4:100-2,

I960.
I n t e r v i e w w i t h A l e x a n d e r Watt.

"Ma l o n g u e marche." L ' E x p r e s s , n o . 521:48, June 8, 1961.

I n t e r v i e w by P i e r r e S c h n e i d e r .

" p o u r q u o i j e s u i s s c u l p t e u r . " A r t s , no. 873:1, June 13-19,

1962.
I n t e r v i e w by Andre P a r i n a u d .

"Au L o u v r e avec A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " P r e u v e s , n o . 139:23-30,

September 1962.
I n t e r v i e w by P i e r r e S c h n e i d e r . I n E n g l i s h t r a n s l a t i o n i n
E n c o u n t e r , v o l . x x v i , no. 3:34-40. March I966.
 90

M
T h e Wisdom o f G i a c o m e t t i . " A t l a n t i c Monthly, v o l . 216,
no. 3 : 1 1 7 - 1 2 6 , September 196*5.
I n t e r v i e w w i t h C a r l t o n Lake.

"Hommage a G i a c o m e t t i . " A r t s , no. 1 6 t 3 - 5 , January 19-25, 1966.

I I MAJOR ARTICLES, CATALOGUES, MONOGRAPHS

The A r t s C o u n c i l o f Great B r i t a i n . A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i .
London, I965. ~~ ~
Catalogue t o e x h i b i t i o n a t t h e Tate G a l l e r y . David
S y l v e s t e r , "The Residue o f a V i s i o n . "

B u c a r e l l i , Palma. G i a c o m e t t i . Rome, E d i t a l i a , 1962.

Text i n I t a l i a n , French, E n g l i s h .

Dupin, Jacques. A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . P a r i s , Maeght, 1962.

P u b l i s h e d also~*in~~an~edrtion"~with an i n t e r l e a v e d E n g l i s h
t r a n s l a t i o n by John Ashbery.

Galerie Beyeler. Alberto Giacometti. Basel, Galerie Beyeler,

1964. "
I n t r o d u c t i o n by M i c h e l L e i r i s ; " L e t t e r t o P i e r r e Matisse,"
1948; quotes from c o n v e r s a t i o n s o f Andre* Parinaud w i t h
G i a c o m e t t i , A r t s , no. 8 7 3 , June 1962.

Gjasser] , A [rthur] , ed. " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " Du, v o l . 2 2 ,

no. 252:2-46, February 1962.
Texts by H. Wescher, C. Gledion-Welcker, A. S k l r a ,
Ch. B e r n o u l l i , I . Yanaihara, Gasser.

Genet, Jean. " L ^ t e l i e r d * A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " D e r r l e r e l e

m i r o i r , no. 9 8 , June 1957. x

P u b l i s h e d as book, Decines ( I s e r e ) , 1963.

H a l l , Douglas. " G i a c o m e t t i . " The__Masters, no. 48, 1966.

J e d l i c k a , Gotthard. A l b e r t o Giacometti a l s Zelchner. O l t e n ,

I960.

K e s t n e r - G e s e l l s c h a f t . A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . Hannover, 1966.
Text by Wieland Schmied7~Christopher B e r n o u l l i , Jean
Genet; German t r a n s l a t i o n o f statements by G i a c o m e t t i .

L o r d , James. A Giacometti P o r t r a i t . New York, The Museum o f

Modern A r t , 19657

Moulin, Raoul-Jean. G i a c o m e t t i , s c u l p t u r e s . Trans. B e t t l n a

Wadla. London, Menthuen, 19o"5.
 91

New Y o r k . Museum o f Modern A r t . A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . New Y o r k ,

Museum o f Modern A r t , 1965. "~
I n t r o d u c t i o n by P e t e r S e l z ; L e t t e r t o P i e r r e M a t i s s e ,
1948.

S a r t r e , J e a n - P a u l . "Le Recherche de l»absolu." L e s Temps

modernes, v o l . 3, no. 28:1153-63, J a n u a r y T948.
Published i n E n g l i s h t r a n s l a t i o n i n S a r t r e , Jean-Paul.
E s s a y s i n A e s t h e t i c s . T r a n s . Wade B a s k i n . New Y o r k ,
C i t a d e l , 19637

S a r t r e , J e a n - P a u l . "Les P e i n t u r e s de G i a c o m e t t i . " D e r r i e r e
l e m i r o l r , no. 65, May 1954. ~~
Published i n E n g l i s h t r a n s l a t i o n i n S a r t r e , Jean-Paul.
Essays i n A e s t h e t i c s . T r a n s . Wade B a s k i n . New Y o r k ,
Citadel,~1955.
Yanaihara, I s a k u . G i a c o m e t t i . Tokyo, 1958.
Z u r i c h . Kunsthaus. A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . Z u r i c h , J a n u a r y 1963.
C a t a l o g u e o f e x h i b i t i o n w i t h t e x t s by R. Wehrle,
E. H u t t i n g e r , J.-P. S a r t r e , G i a c o m e t t i .
I l l GENERAL WORKS

Bowness, A l a n . Modern S c u l p t u r e . New Y o r k , D u t t o n V i s t a ,

1965, PP. 55-"55, 8"9"7

B r e t o n , Andre'. L e S u r r e a l l s m e ^ e t
iit l a pelnture. Bretano's,
P a r i s , 1945, pp."97-98.
C a r n d u f f R i t c h i e , Andrew. S c u l p t u r e o f t h e T w e n t i e t h Century.
The Museum o f Modern A r t , New~York, 1952, pp. 3 l , ~ 3 3 , ~
45, 158-161, 210-212,•227.
Cassou, J e a n . Panorama des a r t s p l a s t i q u e s cqntemporains. P a r i s ,
G a l l i m a r d 7 196*0, pp. 598, 650, 63l7~6~70.
Char, Rene . " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " Rgcherche^de l a base_et du
7

sommet. P a r i s , G a l l i m a r d , 1955,~p. T457 - -

D
££Eii r e
1 ® m i r o l r . " D i x ans e d i t i o n s . " P a r i s , Maeght, October
1955, pp. 17-21.
G i e d i o n - W e l c k e r , C a r o l a . Contemporary S c u l p t u r e . New Y o r k ,
1954, pp. x v , x x v , 88"-?7.
J e a n , M a r c e l . H l s t o l r e de l a p e l n t u r e s u r r e a l i s t e . E d i t i o n s
du S e u i l , " " P a r i s , 19597~PP.~26*7229.
 92

Read, H e r b e r t . The A r t o f S c u l p t u r e . London, Paber and Faber,

1954, pp. "02-3.
Read, H e r b e r t . A C o n c i s e H i s t o r y o f Modern P a i n t i n g . New York,
P r a e g e r , T959, pp. 1337 136"7~151.~
S c h a e f e r , Semmein, Henry. S c u l p t u r e I n Europe Today. B e r k e l e y ,
U n i v e r s i t y o f C a l i f o r n i a Press"7 1955, pp. 23, 72.
S e l z , P e t e r . New Images o f Man. New Y o r k , The Museum o f
Modern Art,"19597

IV ARTICLES

Amman, J e a n - C h r i s t o p h e . "Das Problem des Raumes im Werk

A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i s . " Werk, v o l . 53, no. 6:237-40,
June 1966.

A s h t o n , Dore. " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " A r t s and A r c h i t e c t u r e .

v o l . 75, no. 7:10, J u l y 31, 1958.

A s h t o n , D o r e . "New Images o f Man." A r t s and A r c h i t e c t u r e .

v o l . 76, no. 11:14, 15, 40, November 1959.

B r e t o n , Andre'. " E q u a t i o n de l ' o b j e t trouve'." Documents, no.

1:17-24, June 1934.

B u c a r e l l i , Palma. "La S c u l p t u r e d»Alberto G i a c o m e t t i . "

C i m a i s e , 9th y e a r , no. 61:60-78, September-October,
T9&2.
C l a y , J e a n . " G i a c o m e t t i ' s D i a l o g u e w i t h Death." H y a l i t e s ,
no. 161:54-59, 76, A p r i l 1964.

C o u r t h i o n , P i e r r e . " G i a c o m e t t i , Grand: p r i x n a t i o n a l des arts."

A r t s , December 8-14, 1963.

C o u r t o i s , M i c h e l . "La F i g u r a t i o n magique de G i a c o m e t t i . "

A r t I n t e r n a t i o n a l . v o l . 6, no. 5/6:38-45.
i

Summer 1962. ~

C[urjelJ, HtansjJ. " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " Werk. v o l . 50, no. l:supp

14-15, J a n u a r y 1963.

C u r j e l , Hans. " E i n e A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i S t i f t u n g . " Werk, v o l . 51,

no. 4:supp. 80, A p r i l 1964.

Doelman, C o r n e l i u s . " G i a c o m e t t i . " The_New M o r a l i t y , no. 4-5:

86-89, summer-fall 1962.
 93

D r e x l e r , A r t h u r . " G i a c o m e t t i , A Change o f Space." I n t e r i o r s ,

v o l . 1 0 9 , no 3: 102-7, October 1949.
Dupin, Jacques. "Giacometti, s c u l p t e u r et p e i n t r e . " Cahiers
d V A r t , no. 1: 41-54, October 1954.
G i e d i o n - W e l c k e r , C a r o l a . "New Roads i n Modern S c u l p t u r e . "
T r a n s i t i o n , no. 23: 1 9 8 - 2 0 1 , J u l y 1935.

G i e d i o n - W e l c k e r , C a r o l a . " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " Werk, August

1956, pp. 151, 152.
Giedion-Welcker, Carola. "Alberto Giacomettis V i s i o n s der
R e a l i t f t t . " Werk, v o l . 46, no. 6: 205-12, June 1959.

Grand, P a u l e - M a r i e . " G i a c o m e t t i . " P o r t f o l i o and^Art News

A n n u a l , no. 3: 64-79, I960.
Greenberg, Clement. " G i a c o m e t t i . " N a t i o n , v o l . 166, no. 6:
163-64, F e b r u a r y 7, 1948.

Grenier, Jean. " G i a c o m e t t i . " P r e u v e s , J u l y 1 9 6 l , pp. 66-

68. " ~

Gueguen, P i e r r e . " G i a c o m e t t i . " A u j o u r d * h u l , no. 4-5: 62,

May-June 1954.
1
Habasque, Guy. "La XXXIe B i e n n a l e de V e n i c e . " L ^ O e i l , no.
93: 35-36, September 1962.
Hess, Thomas B. " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " A r t News, v o l . 4 9 ,
no. 9: 4 4 , J a n u a r y 1951.

Hess, Thomas B. " G i a c o m e t t i i The uses o f a d v e r s i t y . " A r t

News, v o l . 57, no. 3: 3 4 , 35, 67, May 1958. ;

Hess, Thomas B. "The C u l t u r a l - g a p B l u e s . " A r t News, v o l . 57,

no. 9 : 22-25, 61-62, J a n u a r y 1959.
H. C. " G i a c o m e t t i . " A r t News, v o l . 5 8 , no. 1 0 : 1 2 , February
I960.

J e d l i c k a , G p t t h a r d . "Lorsque M a t i s s e p o s a i t pour G i a c o m e t t i . "

XXe s l e c l e , no. 4 : 2, 3, June 1959.

J o u f f r o y , A l a i n . " P o r t r a i t d*un A r t i s t e : A l b e r t o Giacometti."

A r t s , no. 545: 9, December 7-13, 1955.

Kramer, H i l t o n . " R e a p p r a i s a l s : G i a c o m e t t i . " A r t s Magazine,

v o l . 3 8 , no. 2: 32-9, November 1 9 6 3 .
 94

L a k e , S a r l t o n . "The Wisdom o f G i a c o m e t t i . " A t l a n t i c M o n t h l y ,

v o l . 216, no. 3: 117-126, September 19637
Lanes, J e r r o l d . " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " A r t s Yearbook, no. 3:
152-55, 1959.
Le C l e r q , Lena. " l a m a i s D»Espaces i m a g i n a i r e . " D e r r l e r e l e
m i r o l r , no. 127: 6-l6, May 196l.

L e i r i s , M i c h e l . " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " Document, v o l . 1, no.

4: 209-214, September 1929.
L e i r i s , M i c h e l . " P i e r r e s pour A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " D e r r l e r e
l e m i r o l r . no. 29/30, J u n e - J u l y 1951. E n t i r e i s s u e
devoted to Giacometti; served as catalogue t o e x h i b i t i o n
h e l d a t G a l e r i e Maeght, P a r i s .

L e i r i s , M i c h e l . " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i , en t i m b r e - p o s t e ou en
m e d a l l i o n . " L»_Arc, v o l . 5: 10-13, October 1962.

Liberman, Alexander. " G i a c o m e t t i . " Vogue, pp. 146-52. Janu-

a r y 1955.
Limbour, Georges. " G i a c o m e t t i . " Magazine o f A r t , v o l . 4 l ,
no. 7s 253-5, November 1948.

L o r d , James. " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i , s c u l p t e u r e t p e i n t r e . "

L»_0eil, no. 1: 14-20, J a n u a r y 15, 1955.
L o r d , James. " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i and H i s Drawings." I n t r o -
d u c t i o n t o e x h i b i t i o n c a t a l o g u e . New Y o r k , P i e r r e
M a t i s s e G a l l e r y , 1964.
L o r d , James. " I n Memoriam, A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " L ' O e i l , no.
135: 42-46, 67, March 1966.
M a l d i n y , H e n r i . "La F o u n d a t i o n M a r g u e r i t e et Aime' Maeght."
D e r r l e r e l e m i r o l r , no. 148, J u l y 1964.

M a t t e r , H e r b e r t . " G i a c o m e t t i by G i a c o m e t t i and G i a c o m e t t i by
H e r b e r t M a t t e r . " A r t News, v o l . 60, no. 9'- 4 l , 57,
J a n u a r y 1962.

M a t t e r , Mercedes. " G i a c o m e t t i , The C a r e e r and Quest o f a

Great S c u l p t o r . " L i f e , v o l . 60, no. 5' 53-60, F e b r u a r y
4, 1966.
N e g r i , M a r i o . "Fragment! p e r A l b e r t ! G i a c o m e t t i . " Domus, n o .
320: 40-48, J u l y 1956.
N e g r i , M a r i o . " S i f a c h i o p u i c i sfugge, i n memoriam d i
A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " Etomus, no. 439* 32-36, June 1966.
 95

Ponge, F r a n c i s . " R e f l e x i o n s s u r l e s s t a t u e t t e s , f i g u r e s e t
p e i n t u r e s d»Alberto G i a c o m e t t i . " C a h l e r s d ' A r t , v o l . 26,
PP. 74-90, 1951. "
Restany, P i e r r e . " G i a c o m e t t i . " Cimedse, no. 54: 97» J u l y -
August 1961. ~
R u s s o l i , Franco. " A r t i s t i a l i a B i e n a l e : A l b e r t o Giacometti."
Comm'unita, v o l . 10, no. 4 2 : 74-77» September, 1956.
S c h n e i d e r , P i e r r e . " A r t News from P a r i s . " A r t News, v o l . 58,
no. 10: 44, F e b r u a r y i960.
S c h n e i d e r , P i e r r e . " A r t News from P a r i s . " Art_News, v o l . 60,
no. 7: 52, November 1961. ~
S e l z , P e t e r . " N o u v e l l e s images de l'homme." L ' O e i l , no. 62:
53, F e b r u a r y i960.
S [ k i r a ] , A [ l b e r t ] . " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i : c o p i e s d'apres un
b a s - r e l i e f e g y p t i a n - Conrad W i t z - Andre D e r a i n - Une
f i g u r e greque." L a b y r i n t h e , no. 10: 2, J u l y 15, 1945.
Soby, James. " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " S a t u r d a y Review, v o l . 38,
no. 32: 36-37, August 6, 1955.
S t a h l y , F r a n c o i s . "Der B i l d h a u e r , A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i . " Werk,
v o l . 37, no. 6: 1 8 1 - 5 , June 1950.
S y l v e s t e r , David. "Perpetuating the t r a n s c i e n t . " Alberto
G i a c o m e t t i . London, The A r t s C o u n c i l o f G r e a t " B r i t a i n ,
19557
T a r d i e u , J e a n . " G i a c o m e t t i e t l a s o l i t u d e . " XXe s l e c l e ; v o l .
2 4 , no. 1 8 : 13-19, F e b r u a r y 1962.

Vad, P a u l . " G i a c o m e t t i . " Slgnum I I . no. 2: 28-36, 1962.

Waldberg, P a t r i c k . " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i , I'espace e t l ' a n g o i s s e . "
C r i t i q u e , v o l . 15, no. 1 4 3 : 3 2 9 - 4 0 , A p r i l 1959.
Watt, A l e x a n d e r . " A l b e r t o G i a c o m e t t i : P u r s u i t o f t h e
Unapproachable." S t u d i o , v o l . 167,"no. 8 4 9 : 20-27,
January 1964.
Wescher, H e r t a . " G i a c o m e t t i : A P r o f i l e . " A r t D i g e s t , v o l .
28, no. 5: 17, 28-29, December 1, 1953.
W i l b u r , R i c h a r d . " G i a c o m e t t i . " T i g e r ' s Eye, no. 7: 61-63,
March 1949.
 96

Y a n a i h a r a , I s a k u . "Pages de j o u r n a l . w
Derriere l e mlrolr,
no. 127: 1 8 - 2 6 , May 1 9 6 l .
Z e r v o s , C h r i s t i a n . "Quelques n o t e s s u r l e s s c u l p t u r e s de
G i a c o m e t t i . " Cahiers_d»Art. v o l . 7, no. 8-10: 337-342,
19-32.

V OTHER WORKS CITED OR REFERRED TO

Badt, K u r t . The A r t o f Cezanne. Trans. S h e i l a Ann O g i l v i e .
B e r k e l e y , U n i v e r s i t y o f " C a l i f o r n i a P r e s s , 1965.
B a l z a c , Honore' de. "The Unknown M a s t e r p i e c e . " The Quest o f
the Absolute_and_other s t o r i e s . Trans. E l l e n Marriage.
B o s t o n , Dana~Estes7 1901.
B a r r e t t , W i l l i a m . I r r a t i o n a l Man. Garden C i t y , Doubleday-
A n c h o r , 1962.

B e c k e t t , Samuel. W a i t i n g f o r Godot. New Y o r k , Grove, 1954.

B e c k e t t , Samuel. Krapp*s L a s t Tape and o t h e r D r a m a t i c . P i e c e s .
New Y o r k , Grove, 1960. " "
I n c l u d i n g A c t Without W o r d s l and A c t Without Words I I .

B e c k e t t , Samuel. Happy Days. New Y o r k , Grove, 196l.

B e c k e t t , Samuel. P l a y and Two Short P i e c e s f o r R a d i o . London,
Faber and' F a b e r , 1964*.
B e c k e t t , Samuel. M o l l o y , Malone D i e s , t h e Unnamable. New
Y o r k , Grove,""l96"5. ™ ~ ~
B e c k e t t , Samuel and D u t h u i t , Georges* "Three D i a l o g u e s . "
SamuelJBeckett, A C o l l e c t i o n o f ' C r i t i c a l E s s a y s . Ed.
M a r t i n E s s l i n . Englewood C l i f f s , P r e n t i c e - H a l l , 1965.
Gauss, C h a r l e s . The A e s t h e t i c T h e o r i e s o f French A r t i s t s .
I855 t° .the J ? g g g n t . B a l t i m o r e , Johns H o p k i n s , 1949.
s

Kenner, Hugh. Samuel B e c k e t t : A C r i t i c a l Study. New Y o r k ,

Grove, 19ol. ™
S a r t r e , J e a n - P a u l . S a i n t Genet _Comedien e t M a r t y r . P a r i s ,
x

G a l l i m a r d , 1952.