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Lot Essay
Diego Giacometti’s Table trapézoïdale grenouilles et grand-duc embodies the artist’s singular contribution to the decorative arts of the twentieth century, where sculpture and function seamlessly converge. Conceived as a bronze table with a trapezoidal structure, it reflects both the playfulness and refinement characteristic of Diego’s oeuvre. The whimsical inclusion of frogs (grenouilles) and an owl (grand-duc) situates the work within his bestiary of fauna, an iconography that became emblematic of the artist’s production from the 1960s onwards. These motifs, far from mere ornament, signal Diego’s enduring fascination with the natural world and his ability to infuse utilitarian forms with poetic resonance.
The table’s direct provenance, passing from Diego Giacometti himself to the family of the present owner, significantly enhances its historical and scholarly importance. Such unbroken lineage not only ensures authenticity but also offers a rare continuity of care that preserves the integrity of the work.
Formally, the table demonstrates Diego’s masterful treatment of bronze, a medium he manipulated with a lightness that belies its weight. The delicate casting of animal figures balances with the geometric simplicity of the supporting structure, producing an equilibrium between rigour and fantasy. Unlike his brother Alberto, whose sculptural language revolved around existential intensity, Diego forged a quieter but no less profound vision, animating furniture with a lyrical sensibility.
As scholarship increasingly recognises Diego Giacometti’s independent artistic achievement, works such as Table trapézoïdale grenouilles et grand-duc acquire renewed critical value. They testify to his role in redefining the boundaries between sculpture and design, offering objects that are at once functional, imaginative, and deeply personal.
The table’s direct provenance, passing from Diego Giacometti himself to the family of the present owner, significantly enhances its historical and scholarly importance. Such unbroken lineage not only ensures authenticity but also offers a rare continuity of care that preserves the integrity of the work.
Formally, the table demonstrates Diego’s masterful treatment of bronze, a medium he manipulated with a lightness that belies its weight. The delicate casting of animal figures balances with the geometric simplicity of the supporting structure, producing an equilibrium between rigour and fantasy. Unlike his brother Alberto, whose sculptural language revolved around existential intensity, Diego forged a quieter but no less profound vision, animating furniture with a lyrical sensibility.
As scholarship increasingly recognises Diego Giacometti’s independent artistic achievement, works such as Table trapézoïdale grenouilles et grand-duc acquire renewed critical value. They testify to his role in redefining the boundaries between sculpture and design, offering objects that are at once functional, imaginative, and deeply personal.