This book looks at a selection of drawings by Alberto Giacometti (1901-66) and examines them against more than 100 letters exchanged between Giacometti and his parents, the majority of which have never been published.

The choice of drawings and the selected correspondence illuminate important aspects of the development of Giacometti's work over five decades of his life. Author Patrick de Vries also examines Giacometti's friendships with important artists who were his contemporaries, such as Pablo Picasso, Francis Gruber, Balthus and Tal-Coat. Recounting the artists' views of each other and the similarities and dissimilarities between their works, de Vries also looks into the discussions between Giacometti and his friend, the Japanese philosopher Isaku Yanaihara, which reveal interesting insights into the rarely discussed subject of Giacometti's fascination with East Asian art.