Portrait du Poete Orbandale by Alberto Giacometti, 1901-1966

Alberto Giacometti, 1901-1966
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Portrait du Poete Orbandale

Original etching in black ink. 1962. Signed in pencil. Numbered (10) in pencil from the edition of 40. Etched and printed at the studio of Lacouriere. Issued by Iliazd in the series: Douze Portraits du Celebre Orbandale, Paris 1962. Rare signed impression; most of the edition was sold unsigned.
Ref: Lust - Giacometti Complete Graphics no 168.

Excellent impression printed with the background clean-wiped. On pale cream handmade chine rustique - slightly textured china paper, as issued. Excellent condition. Full 1 1/2 to 5 inch margins, as issued. Sheet: 13 1/4x6 5/8ins. Plate: 5 3/8x4 l/8ins. (13 8x104mm)

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It is perhaps the feeling of involuntary confrontation which makes Giacometti's portrait works so compelling. We are somehow forced into close, face-to-face conflict with the person.

Giacometti often wrote and talked about his desire to reduce his art down to the basic
essential core, and by cutting-out everything that was superfluous, to heighten our emotional reaction. It is this paring-away of every softening element which makes his drawing and painting so powerful.

In his sculpture Giacometti achieved his effect in part by paring away the actual form so that all that was left was the now familiar stick-like shape, all the power of the larger object being forced into this narrow figure or framework so that it seems to pulsate with strength.. In his drawing this same paring-down is achieved by the whirl of sharp thin lines. One of the great attractions to him of etching was that the use of a fine etching needle on the plate resulted in a sharper even more incisive line than pencil drawing, heightening the impact of the drawing.