Fondation Giacometti

At the end of 1961, Alberto Giacometti started to work on the piece Figure I, Caroline. The photographer Paul Almasy visited the artist’s studio at that time to illustrate an article that was published in the magazine Schweizer Illustrierte Zeitung on the 15th January 1962. He photographed Alberto Giacometti working in his studio, surrounded by his sculptures and paintings. On his left, two paintings in progress are placed on the floor, one the painting representing Caroline.

The Japanese philosopher Isaku Yanaihara (1918-1989) regularly sat for Alberto Giacometti. Having come to France in 1954 to study philosophy at the Sorbonne, he met the artist for the first time in November 1955 for an interview. He quickly became the model for several portraits in 1956, then during his stays in 1957, 1959, 1960 and 1961.
This work was made on his second stay, between August and September 1957. On that occasion, Yanaihara took a photo of Giacometti’s studio and paintings, providing us with an interesting photographic documentation of the artist’s working process.

La Boule suspendue is a key piece in the career of the young Alberto Giacometti, who arrived in Paris in 1922. Exhibited at the Pierre Gallery in 1930, the sculpture impressed the surrealist circle, notably André Breton and Salvador Dalí. Giacometti joined them at the end of 1930, which brought him not only a stimulating circle of friends but also a professional support system.