The Cage (1930-31) by Alberto Giacometti

The Cage - Alberto Giacometti - 1930 - 1931

Artwork Information

TitleThe Cage
ArtistAlberto Giacometti
Date1930 - 1931
MediumWood
Dimensions19 1/4 x 10 1/2 x 10 1/2 in. (49 x 26.5 x 26.5 cm)
Art MovementSurrealism
Current LocationModerna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden
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About The Cage

The Cage is a wooden sculpture created by the Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti in 1930-31. It is exhibited at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden. Known for his Surrealist period, Giacometti was influenced by Freudian psychoanalysis which inspired many of his works during this time. The Cage is believed to be one of the artist’s most significant contributions to Surrealist sculpture.

In the 1930s, Giacometti used the architectural element of a cage to impose constraints on his artistic vision. In his sculpture The Cage, he created a physical cage that confines the artwork itself. This technique emphasizes the theme of imprisonment and confinement which is central to his work.

Philosophical questions related to human existence are also evident in Giacometti’s oeuvre, including in The Cage. The sculpture explores themes of isolation, alienation, and the psyche. Through his use of the cage, he symbolically represents the limits imposed on human beings by societal structures and emotional barriers.

Overall, The Cage is an important artwork that reflects Alberto Giacometti’s philosophical ideas about the human condition during his Surrealist period. Through his use of the physical cage, he emphasizes his themes of confinement, isolation, and the constraints placed on individuals by society and themselves.

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