"Alberto Giacometti, one of the foremost artists of the twentieth century, created sculptures and paintings of stark and haunting beauty. Now, in the one hundredth anniversary of his birth, this book celebrates his genius, tracing his development from the tiny sculptures he made during World War II to the characteristically emaciated figures of his mature style." "Michael Peppiatt gives an account of the crucial moment when Giacometti returned from his wartime exile in Geneva to his beloved Paris, a city traumatized by the war but receptive to new movements and ideas. He describes how Giacometti's way of seeing life - and his way of working - underwent several dramatic transformations during this period." "This book is the catalogue for an exhibition to be held at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich, England, and at the Fondation de l'Hermitage in Lausanne, Switzerland."--Jacket.