Giacometti, the last model
In the Montparnasse studio at 70 bis rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs, known for its gatherings of artists and parties with no fixed end, one guest is keeping everyone waiting.
The Walking Man leaves his studio and wanders through the Latin Quarter, cigarette in hand, dressed in a sober suit. By the time the café crème is nothing more than a pleasant memory, we find him seated at a table, absorbed in a new sketch: the first lines of a dialogue between himself and a cat encountered along the way. The shadow of a Second World War hangs over a trembling world and will change the neighbourhood for ever, drawing artists towards boulevard Saint-Germain. But for now, at around three in the morning, time stands still and slender silhouettes dance in the street; through his eyes, Alberto Giacometti takes the measure of man, his fractures and his sensitivity.
“Waiter, please! Another paper tablecloth. I have all night to dream.”
The guests at 70 bis will wait for this poet until the early hours of the morning. And yet, he was everywhere at once.
Alberto Giacometti was a Swiss artist, born on 10 October 1901 in Borgonuovo, Switzerland. In 1922, he moved to Paris, where he developed the greater part of his work. He worked in a small studio at 46 rue Hippolyte-Maindron in Montparnasse. Measuring around 23 square metres, this space served as both his workplace and his home. He remained there for nearly forty years.
Giacometti is particularly known for his slender, elongated human figures, which appear fragile yet possess a powerful presence. Rather than faithfully reproducing a model, he sought to convey the way in which he perceived them. His brother Diego regularly posed for him, and Alberto could rework a sculpture for hours, constantly striving to capture what he saw.
Giacometti also enjoyed observing cats, which notably inspired his 1951 sculpture The Cat. He also maintained close relationships with several artists and writers of his time.
Today, the Institut Giacometti in Paris offers an opportunity to discover his work, his former studio and an extensive collection of archives. Alberto Giacometti died on 11 January 1966 in Chur, Switzerland.
In this spirit, Maison Gabriel Paris has created a collection inspired by Giacometti’s world and distinctive style. The collection draws on elements that evoke the understated nature of his silhouette and the atmosphere of archival photographs: a grey Shetland wool suit, a merino wool V-neck jumper created in collaboration with Le Minor, a fine-striped shirt and a brown silk scarf with white polka dots.
Through these pieces, Maison Gabriel Paris brings the masculine elegance of Giacometti’s era into dialogue with a contemporary interpretation, whilst remaining true to the simplicity that characterised the artist.
Discover the Giacometti Collection
Further reading :
Alberto Giacometti — Wikipédia
Franck Maubert — Le Dernier Modèle
Text: Frédéric Darroux