This lithograph by Alberto Giacometti was purchased by the museum in 1973 under the name Nu de face (Frontal nude) from La Cité du Livre, a cooperative bookshop in Le Locle that sold original engravings. La Cité du Livre was run by Charles Chautems, an art lover and curator at the Musée des Beaux-Arts from 1971 to 1987. This work by Giacometti depicts a nude woman standing with her left arm raised, seemingly pointing at something with a stern expression. The artist’s skillful use of line imbues the figure with both a sense of strength and fragility, accentuating her vulnerability. After working extensively in etching and engraving, Giacometti turned to lithography in 1949. Although he lived mainly in Paris from 1922, Giacometti remained attached to his native Ticino valley, the Val Bregaglia, and is one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century.
Lithograph, inv. 99
