Woman of Venice IX (Femme de Venise IX) (work of art)
Artwork Info
Key Ideas
- This bronze sculpture is part of the artist’s series of standing female figures known as Women of Venice. The series was created in 1956, for an international arts and culture exhibition that is held each year in Venice, Italy.
- The original version of this figure was sculpted in plaster, along with the other 14 figures in the series. Nine of the figures (including this one) were later cast in bronze.
- Alberto Giacometti was a Swiss sculptor and painter. He is best known for his elongated (tall and slender) sculptures of human figures.
- Giacometti’s wife was the model for his Women of Venice sculptures. He often used people he knew as models for his sculptures.
Learn More
Woman of Venice IX was created as part of Alberto Giacometti’s sculpture series, Women of Venice, for the 1956 Venice Biennale. The Venice Biennale is an international exhibition of visual and performing arts. It is hosted annually in Venice, Italy.
This figure is one of 15 versions of a standing female figure. The original figures were sculpted in plaster. Nine of Giacometti’s standing female figures, including this one, were later cast in bronze. Each figure in the series was modeled from the same clay, on the same armature. An armature is a type of support framework on which a sculptor adds clay, wax, or plaster.
Giacometti was a Swiss-born artist who studied sculpting in Paris, France. He is best known for his elongated sculptures of human figures. He often used his friends and family members as models for his sculpted works. His wife Annette modeled for his Women of Venice sculpture series. To create these sculptures, Giacometti built up layers of clay on an armature and stripped the layers down over and over again. He repeated this process until he was satisfied with the result. After making a plaster cast of the clay figure, he made more changes to the clay and created a different version of the sculpture.
All the sculptures of today, like those of the past, will end one day in pieces . . . So it is important to fashion one’s work carefully in its smallest recess and charge every particle of matter with life.
Alberto Giacometti
In addition to his career as a sculptor, Giacometti worked as a painter, printmaker, and drafter. A drafter is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings.
I paint and sculpt to get a grip on reality . . . to protect myself.
Alberto Giacometti
Additional Resources
Resources for Teachers
- Visit a website that features the artist’s biography, stories about his life, and images of his work.
- Explore a lesson plan for creating Giacometti-inspired drawings and sculptures (and watch a short video about the artist).
- View images of Giacometti’s painted portraits and busts that depict his family members and friends.
Resources for Students
- Watch a video about Giacometti’s life and art.
- Discover eight things to know about Giacometti.
- View images of original plaster sculptures from Giacometti’s Women of Venice series.
Images
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Woman of Venice IX (Femme de Venise IX)
A bronze sculpture of a tall and slender nude female figure. The figure has oversized feet and is standing on a sloped bronze platform. The surface of the sculpture is heavily textured.
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GIACOMETTI, Woman of Venice, 99_5, view B
A bronze sculpture of a tall and slender nude female figure. The figure has oversized feet and is standing on a sloped bronze platform. The surface of the sculpture is heavily textured. View of the left side of the figure.
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GIACOMETTI, Woman of Venice, 99_5, view C
A bronze sculpture of a tall and slender nude female figure. The figure has oversized feet and is standing on a sloped bronze platform. The surface of the sculpture is heavily textured. View of the figure from the back.
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GIACOMETTI, Woman of Venice, 99_5, view D
A bronze sculpture of a tall and slender nude female figure. The figure has oversized feet and is standing on a sloped bronze platform. The surface of the sculpture is heavily textured. View of the right side of the figure.
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GIACOMETTI, Woman of Venice, 99_5, view E
A bronze sculpture of a tall and slender nude female figure. The figure has oversized feet and is standing on a sloped bronze platform. The surface of the sculpture is heavily textured. Viewed from the front.