In co-organization with the Fondation Giacometti, this presentation brings together for the first time at The Met the work of Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966) in one of New York's most iconic spaces. The installation of 14 works in bronze and plaster, emblematic pieces from the collection of the Fondation Giacometti in Paris together with three from The Met collection, places the work of one of the great sculptors of the 20th century in dialogue with the ancient civilization that strongly influenced his art and his practice.
Throughout his career, Giacometti showed a particular fascination for the art of ancient Egypt. The Egyptian statues he saw in Italy as a young artist made a lasting impression on his visual repertoire, and after he moved to Paris, he regularly visited the Egyptian galleries of the Louvre. His formal dialogue with Egypt can be seen in sketches of walking figures in profile, which were later realized in such works as Walking Woman (I) (1932). At The Met, this elegant figure will be installed in the offering hall of the Temple of Dendur.
The Temple of Dendur was completed in 10 BCE as a commission by Caesar Augustus shortly after he became emperor of Rome. Gifted from Egypt to the United States in 1965, it has been one of the most beloved works of art at The Met since it opened to the public in 1978. In ancient Egypt, the terrace before the temple functioned as an open meeting place between the deity and larger crowds. At The Met, Giacometti's figures will stand alone or in groups on the temple platform—a presentation that echoes the artist's own compositions of figures as well as the life around the temple.
The exhibition is made possible by the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation.
It is co-organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Fondation Giacometti, Paris.
