Diego Giacometti - Design London Thursday, May 2, 2024 | Phillips

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  • At the heart of Diego Giacometti's familiar style lies an admiration for Antiquity, an interest the artist carried with him for his entire life which initially stemmed from a trip to Egypt in his youth. The influences of ancient Greek and Roman eras lent themselves into proportional ideals present in his furniture designs, which he masterfully executed in bronze.

     

    The present 'X' form stool and 'Grecque' low table (lots 49 and 50) serve as highly desirable and authoritative examples from the most mature period of Giacometti’s artistic career. At this time, he had achieved notoriety for his recognisable, iconic style and conveyance of inimitable sincerity in his precise craftsmanship. From the early 1960s through the remainder of his life, the works to come out of Diego's atelier embodied a fresh refinement of artistic vision. By meticulously moulding his plaster casts, each work possesses individualistic authenticity in its finished state, complimented by the rich patination he supervised himself to bring uniqueness to the distinctly sculpted quality of each piece.

     

    This dedicated approach to detail in his craft attracted the attention of an elite clientele during this period of his career, resulting in a wide range of diverse and important commissions. His ability to play to his clients’ personal tastes led to delightfully intentional nuance within his works, demonstrative of both keen observational skills and thoughtful concern for all aspects of the pieces he produced, while confidently maintaining his own identity for an overall aesthetic that is quintessentially 'Diego Giacometti'. The breakthrough to such self-assuredness in his practice from this decade onward commanded increased demand for his artistry which is still beloved today.

     

    Diego Giacometti inside his atelier, Paris, 1978.
    Photo: © Martine Franck/Magnum Photos

    Far from foldable as were the curule chairs that inspired this form within Giacometti's oeuvre, which were designed to be easily moved and transported during Ancient Roman times, the present 'X' form stool gained its foundations within the artist’s range when Aimé Maeght returned from a flea market with a Spanish wrought iron chair in a similar style. The design’s traditional form amused Giacometti and inspired him to create the present design as an elegant and reimagined homage to stylistic notions of the distant past.

     

    Giacometti's works present themselves as sophisticated pieces which fit perfectly into social, domestic settings. The accompanying image from the early 1970s shows the 'Grecque' low table enjoyed in situ within the original owner's summer house living room, just a few years after it was purchased from Diego. This style materialised through Giacometti's skilfully developed abstraction of textural details and cast motifs echoing ancient Etruscan artisanship, resulting in works which honour the aforementioned appreciation of Antiquity while showcasing his expressive range of varied patinas. These pieces echo the austerity of classic ideals while simultaneously meeting the viewer with a convivial sense for modern living. This balance is further complimented by the tension between the hardness of the cast bronze and the softness of the warm patination for finished works which are both strong and inviting.

     

     The 'Grecque' low table (lot 50) in the summer house of the original owner, circa 1971. 
    Photo: Private family archive

    These two pieces come to Phillips bearing a pristine provenance, having been acquired directly from the artist at the time of production and having since remained in the same family. They are excellent demonstrations of Diego Giacometti's expert abilities to blend the disciplines of sculpture and the decorative arts for timeless masterpieces of modern design.

    • Provenance

      Private collection, Paris, acquired directly from the artist, 1967
      Thence by descent to the present owner

    • Literature

      Françoise Francisci, Diego Giacometti: Catalogue de L'Œuvre, Volume I, Paris, 1986, p. 102
      Daniel Marchesseau, Diego Giacometti, Paris, 1986, p. 50
      François Badout, Diego Giacometti, Paris, 2001, pp. 39, 77
      Christian Boutonnet and Rafael Ortiz, Diego Giacometti, Paris, 2003, p. 77
      Daniel Marchesseau, Diego Giacometti: Sculpteur de Meubles, Paris, 2018, p. 168

    • Artist Biography

      Diego Giacometti

      Swiss • 1902 - 1985

      In 1935 Diego Giacometti took a holiday in Stampa, the Swiss town in which he grew up. The trip marked one of the first periods in which he was separated from his brother Alberto Giacometti, and perhaps in connection with having removed himself from the shadow of his brother's career, he began his first animal sculptures. It was shortly after this trip that the younger Giacometti also started making furniture, after patrons admired the stands he was crafting for his brother's sculptures. Diego modeled his maquettes in plaster (as opposed to clay or wax, which was the more common choice for sculptors) and cast his furniture in bronze, a departure from most metal furniture at the time, which was cast in iron. Illustrious clients included the Maeght and Noailles families as well as the decorator Jean-Michel Frank, who commissioned Alberto (assisted by Diego) to create plaster lighting and fireplace accessories.

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PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PARISIAN COLLECTION

49

'X' form stool, troisième version

designed circa 1960, produced 1967
Patinated bronze, leather.
48 x 47.4 x 39.5 cm (18 7/8 x 18 5/8 x 15 1/2 in.)

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
£80,000 - 120,000 

Sold for £304,800

Contact Specialist

Antonia King
Head of Sale, Design
+44 20 7901 7944
Antonia.King@phillips.com
 

Design

London Auction 2 May 2024