"I feel the wonder of a small figure walking in space."

—Alberto Giacometti

Three attenuated figures in close proximity stride purposefully in different directions. The void between the figures suggests many interpretations, including the isolation of man, a busy urban square where people pass each other anonymously, or the silent realm of dreams and sleepwalking. Alberto Giacometti said that he sculpted people as they actually looked to him. Giacometti created these forms in wax before they were cast into bronze, and we can still see the lively imprint of the artist's fingers as he pushed and pulled the pliable material. The texture causes the edges of the figures to dissolve just as the images of people do when seen from a distance.

Excerpt from

Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy, 2009.

• Alberto Giacometti once said “In the street the people astound me and interest me more than any sculpture or painting. Every second the people stream together and go apart, then they approach each other to get closer to one another….They unceasingly form and reform living compositions in unbelievable complexity.”

• Giacometti often made his models stand about nine feet away from him so that he could observe their entire form at once.

• Guggenheim, New York
  Learn more about the artist and his work.

• Tate, London
  Check out this list of eight interesting facts about Giacometti from the Tate.

• Fondation-Giacometti, Paris
  Learn more about Alberto Giacometti from the Giacometti Institute.

• YouTube
  Watch this video about Giacometti from the Tate, London.