Medusa

10 October 1901

Born

1922

Moves to Paris and enters Bourdelle’s studio

From 1922 he lived and worked in Paris, studying under Émile-Antoine Bourdelle at the Grande Chaumière studio until 1925 and spending his summers in Switzerland. In Paris he grew close to André Breton, Louis Aragon, Picasso, Miró, Max Ernst, Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Beckett and others.

1929–1930

Joins the Surrealists and André Breton

He became involved with the Surrealists and André Breton (sources give 1929 or 1930) and was an active member of the group for several years; he published in the journal Surrealism in the Service of the Revolution.

1935

The end of his Surrealist period

In 1935 the artist turned his back on Surrealism and disowned all his works from that period, calling them “a complete dead end” (by other accounts, he was expelled from the group).

1962

Grand prize for sculpture at the Venice Biennale

In 1962 Giacometti was awarded the grand prize for sculpture at the Venice Biennale, which brought him worldwide fame. Even after reaching popularity he went on reworking his models, often destroying them or setting them aside to return to years later.

11 January 1966

Died