Loans from the Collection
When you visit the National Galleries of Scotland, you might notice that an object is on loan and not out on display. The organisation is often asked to lend its artworks, most frequently to temporary exhibitions in other museums and galleries, but also occasionally for study purposes. We consider ourselves generous lenders and are proud of having a collection that is in demand around the world. In 2005 and 2006, the National Galleries of Scotland sent out approximately 470 objects per year. This figure does not include movements within the galleries for temporary displays and exhibitions.
![Objet désagréable à jeter [Disagreeable Object to be Thrown away]](http://www.nationalgalleries.org/media_collection/5/GMA 3547.jpg)
Alberto Giacometti
Objet désagréable à jeter [Disagreeable Object to be Thrown away]1931This wooden object is designed to be picked up and played with, and can stand in several different positions. It is satisfying to hold, but is also sinister and possibly offensive. Although it looks as if it has been built for a purpose (possibly sexual), the artist has left this for the viewer to decide. It is similar in shape to a type of stool made in Western Africa, although one of the 'legs' is fixed to the top of the 'seat.' Giacometti made this piece while working with the surrealist group.
Glossary [1] Show
Surrealism
A literary and artistic movement founded by the poet André Breton in 1924. Many of the associated artists, such as Max Ernst and Jean Arp, had previously been involved with Dadaism. The movement sought to challenge conventions through the exploration of the subconscious mind, invoking the power of dreams and elements of chance. Cultural hierarchies were challenged by the combination of diverse elements in collages and sculptural assemblages. The movement is also notable for the collaborations between artists and writers evident in the Surrealists' many publications.
- Accession no. GMA 3547
- Medium Wood
- Size 19.60 x 31.00 x 29.00 cm
- Credit Purchased 1990
Alberto Giacometti (Swiss, 1901 - 1966)
Swiss-born sculptor Giacometti studied art in Geneva, moving to Paris in 1922 where he experimented with Cubism and became interested in primitive sculpture. He worked with the surrealist group until the mid-1930s, producing strange objects suggestive of cruelty, sex and dreams. After that time, he broke away dramatically from the Surrealists and returned to working from life. He then produced his best known works, a series of elongated and fragile skeletal figures, made not by carving but by an obsessive process of modelling in clay and whittling away.
Glossary [2] Show
Cubism
A style of painting originated by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso in the first two decades of the 20th century. Instead of painting a figure or object from a fixed position they represented it from multiple viewpoints.
Surrealism
A literary and artistic movement founded by the poet André Breton in 1924. Many of the associated artists, such as Max Ernst and Jean Arp, had previously been involved with Dadaism. The movement sought to challenge conventions through the exploration of the subconscious mind, invoking the power of dreams and elements of chance. Cultural hierarchies were challenged by the combination of diverse elements in collages and sculptural assemblages. The movement is also notable for the collaborations between artists and writers evident in the Surrealists' many publications.