Bechtler updates Giacometti show

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art has freshened up its Alberto Giacometti show with another 15 of the Swiss artist's drawings.  

The new batch "deepens our understanding of Alberto Giacometti's growth as an artist," said Bechtler president John Boyer, the show's curator. The drawings, replacing some that were in "Giacometti: Memory and Presence" when it opened, were created from 1917 to 1964 -- spanning nearly all of Giacometti's  career. 

Two works that date back to 1920 -- a portrait of his brother and a watercolor of Venice, Italy -- reveal the budding artist's  "precocious skills as a draughtsman ... when Giacometti was still in his teens," Boyer said. A series of images of his father -- drawn over a 40-year period -- and a portrait of fellow artist Henri Matisse help continue the theme.   

The new selections will remain on display for the rest of the exhibition, which runs through Feb. 8. To whet potential viewers' appetite for the show, the museum has unveiled a video introduction hosted by Boyer: 






(Gallery photo: Jeff Siner -- jsiner@charlotteobserver.com)