Alberto Giacometti
(Switzerland 10 Oct 1901–1966)
- Title
- Woman of Venice VII
- Alternative title:
- Femme de Venise VII
- Year
- 1956
- Media
- Sculpture
- Medium
- bronze
- Dimensions
- 117.0 x 16.0 x 36.0cm
- Signature & date
- Signed left edge of base, inscribed into metal "Alberto Giacometti". Not dated.
- Credit
- Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Purchase 1994
- Accession number
- 612.1994
- Copyright
- © Alberto Giacometti/ADAGP. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney
- Location
- Modern gallery
- Further information
Purchased by the Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation in 1994, 'Woman of Venice VII' is the first sculpture by Alberto Giacometti to enter a public art collection in Australia. It is one of nine bronze figures that were created as 'states' of a single figure modelled in clay on a single armature over a period of about three weeks and cast in plaster by the artist's brother, Diego. The hands held at the side of the figure's broad body emphasise the corporeality of the figure and recall Giacometti's early experiments with female spoon-like forms. As in other works in this series the tension created between the heavy wedge-shaped pedestal and the figure's tiny head endows the piece with a sense of the visionary that the artist favoured. The heavily textured quality of this work and original patination make this one of Giacometti's most distinctive and successful female figures. This work perfectly embodies Giacometti's ambivalent attitude towards women whom he idolised but whom he also found suffocating and incomprehensible. 'Woman of Venice VII' encourages the viewer to engage imaginatively with its mysterious subject. Whether we interpret her as a goddess or prostitute, Egyptian cult figure or decomposing corpse, one cannot remain unmoved by Giacometti's powerful interpretation of humanity.
No.5 in an edition of 6.
- Bibliography (10)
-
Giacometti: sculptures, prints & drawings from the Maeght Fondation (2006), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874).
Look (Jul 2006), Jill Sykes (Australia) (Editor), 10pm [print management] (Australia), Newtown, New South Wales, Australia.
Look (Sep 2004), Jill Sykes (Australia) (Editor), 10pm [print management] (Australia), Newtown, New South Wales, Australia.
Look (Aug 2003), Jill Sykes (Australia) (Editor), 10pm [print management] (Australia), Newtown, New South Wales, Australia.
Look (Jun 2001), Judith White (Australia) (Editor), Fiona Hardie (Australia), South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook (1999), Bruce James (Australia) (Author), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Annual Report 1997 (1997), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Architectural Digest (Apr 1995), Editor Unknown (Editor), John C. Brasfield Publishing Company (United States of America), Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
Alberto Giacometti: A biography of his work (1991), Yves Bonnefoy (France) (Author), Flammarion (France), Paris, France.
Alberto Giacometti (1965), Peter Selz (United States of America, b.1919) (Director), Museum of Modern Art, New York (United States of America), New York, New York, United States of America.
- Exhibition history (6)
-
Alberto Giacometti, (05 Nov 1965–12 Dec 1965), at The Art Institute of Chicago (United States of America), Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Alberto Giacometti, (09 Jun 1965–10 Oct 1965), at Museum of Modern Art, New York (United States of America), 11 West 53 Street New York, United States of America 10019.
Alberto Giacometti, (10 Mar 1966–24 Apr 1966), at San Francisco Museum of Art (United States of America), San Francisco, California, United States of America 94131.
Alberto Giacometti, (11 Jan 1966–20 Feb 1966), at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (United States of America), Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
Giacometti: sculptures, prints and drawings from the Maeght Foundation, (17 Nov 2006–25 Feb 2007), at Christchurch Art Gallery (New Zealand), Cnr Montreal and Glouster Street Christchurch New Zealand.
Giacometti: sculptures, prints and drawings from the Maeght Foundation, (18 Aug 2006–22 Oct 2006), at Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Art Gallery Rd Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2000.