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Lot Essay
The whimsical bestiary that Diego Giacometti cultivated throughout his career has become a defining hallmark of his art, beloved by collectors and viewers alike. From the owls perched atop Bibliothèque Mexique (lot 12B & lot 12BB in this sale) and the fox heads guarding Berceau aux renards (lot 18B), to the playful dogs and balancing horse of Promenade des amis (lot 6B), these abstract yet recognizable creatures animate the expressive, sculptural furniture that defines Diego’s oeuvre. Through this fusion of imaginative figuration and functional design, Diego secured his place at the intersection of art and design.
Much of his inspiration stemmed from the natural world of his childhood in Stampa, Graubünden—a secluded valley in the Swiss Alps. Hounds and horses were common in the countryside, as were the horse-drawn coaches that passed through the neighboring village of Vicosoprano. The fox, however, held special meaning for Diego, who famously shared his Parisian studio with a tame fox named Miss Rose, so called for the rosy hue of her fur.
Though grounded in abstraction, Diego’s designs are imbued with emotional nuance, each work exuding a sense of poetic harmony. The frames of his tables and bookcases reveal a handmade quality—delicate, rope-like structures cast in bronze. Their solidity is softened by the gentle animal forms that grace them. In Diego’s hands, furniture became sculpture, elevating the everyday through a quiet sense of wonder. As Françoise Francisci wrote in 1985:
“Diego gave life to a new bronze age….The work is made of the poetry and mystery of an animal and vegetable world cast in bronze….The bronze will retain the enigma of the artist’s inner world, as the trace of his fingers are still visible on his works after they have been cast.” Françoise Francisci, 1985
Diego began creating decorative objects as early as the 1930s, but World War II and his brother Alberto’s growing renown in figuration and sculpture soon redirected his focus. Working closely alongside Alberto, Diego constructed armatures, molded plaster, and applied patinas to the finished bronzes. A perfectionist like his brother, he spent hours refining the tactile surfaces that became a hallmark of both their practices.
During this period, Diego formed lasting connections with the Parisian avant-garde, including Marie-Pierre Colle Corcuera—the daughter of art dealer Pierre Colle, a champion of surrealists such as Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, and Man Ray. The design for Bibliothèque Mexique was originally commissioned by Marie-Pierre, who named it in homage to her maternal roots in Mexico—a country deeply intertwined with surrealism through figures like Frida Kahlo and Leonora Carrington. One example (lot 12B) from the Edlis Neeson Collection was acquired directly from the artist by William H. Weintraub, cofounder of Esquire magazine, who purchased several of Diego’s sculptural furniture designs in the 1960s.
The Promenade des amis console from the same collection is equally distinguished by its remarkable provenance. Originally handled by the Pierre Matisse Gallery, it was subsequently owned by Jacques and Natasha Gelman, the famed twentieth-century art collectors based in Mexico City. The work later appeared at Christie’s New York Twentieth Century Art sale on November 20, 1998, achieving nearly double its low estimate at $629,500, before entering the esteemed Edlis Neeson Collection, where it has remained for over twenty-five years.
Now offered once more at Christie’s, this console represents a rare opportunity to acquire a masterwork by Diego Giacometti—one that perfectly encapsulates the charm, creativity, and enduring allure of his sculptural imagination.
Much of his inspiration stemmed from the natural world of his childhood in Stampa, Graubünden—a secluded valley in the Swiss Alps. Hounds and horses were common in the countryside, as were the horse-drawn coaches that passed through the neighboring village of Vicosoprano. The fox, however, held special meaning for Diego, who famously shared his Parisian studio with a tame fox named Miss Rose, so called for the rosy hue of her fur.
Though grounded in abstraction, Diego’s designs are imbued with emotional nuance, each work exuding a sense of poetic harmony. The frames of his tables and bookcases reveal a handmade quality—delicate, rope-like structures cast in bronze. Their solidity is softened by the gentle animal forms that grace them. In Diego’s hands, furniture became sculpture, elevating the everyday through a quiet sense of wonder. As Françoise Francisci wrote in 1985:
“Diego gave life to a new bronze age….The work is made of the poetry and mystery of an animal and vegetable world cast in bronze….The bronze will retain the enigma of the artist’s inner world, as the trace of his fingers are still visible on his works after they have been cast.” Françoise Francisci, 1985
Diego began creating decorative objects as early as the 1930s, but World War II and his brother Alberto’s growing renown in figuration and sculpture soon redirected his focus. Working closely alongside Alberto, Diego constructed armatures, molded plaster, and applied patinas to the finished bronzes. A perfectionist like his brother, he spent hours refining the tactile surfaces that became a hallmark of both their practices.
During this period, Diego formed lasting connections with the Parisian avant-garde, including Marie-Pierre Colle Corcuera—the daughter of art dealer Pierre Colle, a champion of surrealists such as Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, and Man Ray. The design for Bibliothèque Mexique was originally commissioned by Marie-Pierre, who named it in homage to her maternal roots in Mexico—a country deeply intertwined with surrealism through figures like Frida Kahlo and Leonora Carrington. One example (lot 12B) from the Edlis Neeson Collection was acquired directly from the artist by William H. Weintraub, cofounder of Esquire magazine, who purchased several of Diego’s sculptural furniture designs in the 1960s.
The Promenade des amis console from the same collection is equally distinguished by its remarkable provenance. Originally handled by the Pierre Matisse Gallery, it was subsequently owned by Jacques and Natasha Gelman, the famed twentieth-century art collectors based in Mexico City. The work later appeared at Christie’s New York Twentieth Century Art sale on November 20, 1998, achieving nearly double its low estimate at $629,500, before entering the esteemed Edlis Neeson Collection, where it has remained for over twenty-five years.
Now offered once more at Christie’s, this console represents a rare opportunity to acquire a masterwork by Diego Giacometti—one that perfectly encapsulates the charm, creativity, and enduring allure of his sculptural imagination.