Bust of an ancestor “Larary”, 19th-20th dynasties (1295-1069 BC), limestone, Musée du Louvre

I could not go to Fondation Maeght (until November 14) nor to Monaco (until August 29) to visit the two major Alberto Giacometti exhibitions but went to Paris’ Institut Giacometti near Fondation Cartier in the 14 th, where his love for Egypt is illustrated. The house, where his studio and library are recreated, is an intimate and precious place. Until October 10, you can see his drawings and the Egyptian inspiration for some of his sculptures and lamps. A new interesting perspective on his prodigious work.

Alberto Giacometti, “Tall woman”, 1958, Statue for Goddess Nephthys, 18 th dynasty, 1391-1353 BC, Alberto Giacometti, “Walking Woman I”, 1932-1936

The first small room at the Foundation is traditionally dedicated to drawings and photographs and this time, it is particularly interesting to find Giacometti’s scribbling and copies of a mummy, of a Fayum portrait from books or of the sculptures seen at the Louvre. The head of a pharaoh, magazines reproducing Egyptian statues, documents showing a group of musicians, photos of an alabaster oil lamp which he reproduced in plaster, are all very fascinating. Thanks to the archives of the foundation, we penetrate the artist’s studio and understand his sources of inspiration.

Alberto Giacometti, copy after a group of musicians, detail of a scene painted on the tomb of Djeserkarraseneb, ca 1950

A statue of a cat and the coffin of an Egyptian cat are shown next to his sculpture of The Cat, 1951.  Walking through the small space of this house is always very moving and uplifting. To discover how Ancient Egypt art has fed his esthetic conception and his questioning on representation is even more interesting. The works lent by the Louvre are obviously of top interest and enlighten us on how he became fascinated by the antique collections in Rome and Florence in 1920.

Alberto Giacometti, Head of a Man face On, 1956-1957 modeled after a Fayum face

The Bust of a seated man which he made of his friend Eli Lotar adopts the same position as the “Statue of a man in the attitude of a scribe”, a group statue in serpentinite from the Louvre inspired his “Four figurines of London”.

This reproduction of an Egyptian alabaster lamp inspired one of his lamps

The modern version by Giacometti

When you go and see Damien Hirst’s  cherry blossoms at Fondation Cartier, walk a few meters around the corner and discover this magical place recreated for Giacometti.

Fondation Giacometti, 5 rue Victor Schoelcher, until October 10.