The Guggenheim Museum is presenting Giacometti  running until September 12.  Frankly, Giacometti has never been one of my favorite artists although I prefer his earlier Post-Impressionist work to his later Surrealism.  But Giacometti is one of the pre-eminent artists of the 20th century and I think for that reason alone everyone who possibly can should see this exhibit.  Giacometti is renowned for the distinctive figurative sculptures he produced in reaction to the trauma and anguish of WWII.  The exhibition encompasses the entirety of his career, featuring nearly 200 sculptures, paintings and drawings, some of which have never before been shown in the US, as well as archival photographs and ephemera.

Visitors will see works from across his career, which was largely spent in France and spanned many decades and various mediums.

Sculptures of various heights are installed on pedestals in the round or set back on the museum’s walls.

My favorite piece from the exhibit is an oil portrait of his younger brother from his early period of Post-Impressionism.  I was quite taken with it and I think perhaps you will be, too.  It’s in the beginning of the exhibit.  Look for it.

Miriam Silverberg is a freelance journalist and owner of Miriam Silverberg Associates, a boutique publicity agency in Manhattan. She may be reached at silverbergm@mindspring.com.