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Efstratios Eleftheriades (1897-1983), better known as 'Tériade', was one of the greatest publishers of the twentieth century. As an admirer and supporter of modern art, he published countless artists books which are considered the finest of the genre: Jazz by Matisse, Ubu Roi by Miró, and Daphnis and Chloé by Chagall to name a few. His achievements in this field were ground-breaking and simply legendary. On the 20th anniversary of Tériade's passing, Madame Alice Tériade, the publisher's widow, commemorates his life achievement by offering this selection of works from their personal collection to be sold for the benefit of Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris - Hôpitaux de France. Born to an industrial family on the island of Mytilène, Greece, in 1915 Tériade moved to Paris to study law. Having quickly tired of his studies, he preferred to spend time at the Louvre, to visit galleries, and to pass the hours in Le Dôme, La Coupole and Café Flore, which were frequented by artists and the literati alike. It was during this period that he developed strong relationships with the leading artists with whom he would work closely for the rest of his life. In 1926, he joined his fellow countryman Christian Zervos working on his newly founded journal Cahiers d'Art. His first professional involvement in the art world, Tériade quickly became an important voice in the modern art movements. A regular contributor to the newspaper L'Intransigeant, Tériade and Maurice Raynal wrote outstanding reviews on the advances of Cubism under the pseudonym 'Les Deux Aveugles'. In 1931 he joined forces with Albert Skira and together they published fine illustrated books and Minotaure, the magazine which gave voice to the Surrealist movement. In 1937 Tériade turned to the founding and furthering of his own publishing ventures, and Verve was born. A celebrated chronicle of contemporary art of his time, Verve is unsurpassed, even today, in its breadth, scope and sheer inventiveness. Tériade worked closely with, among others, Pierre Bonnard, Georges Braque, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Henri Laurens, Alberto Giacometti and Henri Matisse, including their works in Verve. Informing readers as well as being a beautifully illustrated publication in its own right, Verve's role in establishing the canon of modern art cannot be underestimated. The selection of works chosen by Madame Tériade focuses on the artists with whom her husband worked most closely: a spectacular gouache by Miró, Le coq, gifted by the artist in 1947; a striking Chagall 1927 oil, L'âne à la tour Eiffel; a vibrant canvas by Bonnard, Baigneurs à la fin du jour; and a series of drawings by Fernand Léger, Matisse and Giacometti which serve as testimonies to their friendships with Tériade. Their collaboration and support of Verve went beyond the promotion of their own work; the Matisse drawing Remember was conceived to illustrate the 4th publication of Verve devoted to medieval miniatures. Christie's was honoured to present for sale in 1995 a complete set of Tériade's published work; today we are once again grateful to Madame Tériade for entrusting us with the sale of the present collection. This auction is the result of extreme generosity on the part of Madame Tériade, who will donate the proceeds to the Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris - Hôpitaux de France. The Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris, founded in 1989 under the patronage of Madame Jacques Chirac, is devoted to the improvement of daily hospital conditions for children and the elderly. A Selection of Works from the Alice Tériade Collection

Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966)

Portrait de Tériade

Details

Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966)
Portrait de Tériade
pencil on paper
17 1/8 x 10 7/8in. (43.5 x 27.5cm.)
Drawn in 1935

Provenance

Gift from the artist to Tériade, 1935.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

Alberto Giacometti and Tériade had maintained a friendship since the beginning of the Surrealist years. Alberto painted two portraits in oil of his friend, and visited him a number of times at his villa on the Mediterranean. Their friendship was different from many of the others Tériade had forged with artists in that the Giacometti never consented to illustrate one of his books, as he could not find the time to commit himself to such a project. However urged by Tériade, Giacometti created Paris sans fin (1969), a work which was of his own choosing in terms of content and title. Paris sans fin, published after the death of the artist, would be the last great work the publisher would see through the presses.

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