Isaku Yanaihara 1956

Alberto Giacometti painted this oil on canvas portrait of Isaku Yanaihara at an unknown date. Giacometti's portrait invites reflection on the post-war existential condition, and was painted in France. The haunting image reflects a mood of anxiety and uncertainty prevalent in Europe at the time. The image is built from subtle tonal variations, where the sitter emerges from a pale background. The sitter's features are reduced to near abstraction, yet we are presented with what looks like a realistic image. The effect destabilizes the traditional function of portraiture, which was, in earlier times, to convey status and likeness. Instead, Giacometti’s work seems to focus on the psychological presence of the sitter. As art historians, we can draw on letters, biographies, and critical reviews to place it within the artistic and intellectual milieu of post-war Paris. By connecting the artwork with historical context we can get a better understanding of its meaning.