Fifty years on from the death of Alberto Giacometti, a major temporary exhibition illuminates the fundamental aspects of this world-famous Swiss artist’s œuvre and technique.

For Alberto Giacometti, plaster was of great importance as a material – far more than just an intermediate stage between clay model and bronze cast. It allowed him to paint or rework his objects in a wide variety of ways. Indeed, a significant number of his sculptures exist only in a plaster version.

Through numerous masterpieces from every stage of his career, the exhibition focuses on Giacometti’s artistic approach to the material nature of his chosen media, affording an insight into the creative process of one of the century’s greatest artists. While the precious and fragile plasters are the centre of the display, the presentation also includes many works in the other materials, such as marble, wood and bronze.

The gallery lends ” Sans titre (Tête) ” and ” Tête qui regarde “, an emblematic terracotta sculpture exhibited by Jeanne Bucher in her gallery in 1929, and of which there exist no other examples in the world. It represent the first public presentation of a sculpture by Alberto Giacometti