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拍品專文
Stylized, elegant, and unmistakably chic, Alberto Giacometti’s Oiseau sculpture embodies a sense of modern elegance that feels both timely and ahead of its era. The work stands as a striking example of Giacometti's ability to merge artistic experimentation with decorative refinement.
Giacometti, initially known for his surrealistic sculptures, went on to expand his oeuvre with a number of decorative art pieces including lamps, tables, vases, and wall reliefs such as the present lot. He collaborated with friend and business partner Jean-Michel Frank, a key tastemaker in the world of interior design, and sold works from Frank's boutique on 140 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré – a partnership that eventually connected Giacometti with American interior designer Frances Elkins, further extending the former's influence across the Atlantic.
The Oiseau sculpture, cast in plaster, is emblematic of Giacometti’s nuanced understanding of form and abstraction. Though clearly avian in nature, its streamlined and minimal contours transform it into a totemic symbol rather than a literal bird. It is abstract yet evocative, sleek yet monumental. The sculpture’s piercing single eye commands the viewer’s attention, evoking the solemnity of an ancient deity. In many ways, Oiseau encapsulates the spirit of a transitional moment in art and design, a moment where the boundary between fine art and functional object dissolved, allowing for new and radical expressions of creativity.
A striking example of the sculpture’s broader cultural resonance is its presence in the world of fashion. In the September 1st, 1937 issue of Harper’s Bazaar, Giacometti’s Oiseau sculptures were captured in photographs by Man Ray as an elegant backdrop to Chanel’s couture – each bird lending an ethereal atmosphere. Even Madame Chanel herself was photographed amid these mysterious creatures, merging art, fashion, and surrealism into a single visual narrative.
The present examples of Oiseau offer collectors an exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire major plaster bas-reliefs by Giacometti from an historic pre-war interior. Commissioned by Frances Elkins for the vestibule in the residence of Mr. and Mrs. James D. Zellerbach, these birds were specially formed with more intensely curved wings, creating a sense of movement that draws the viewer inward, as though the bird is in mid-flight, enveloping the space with its plaster wings. It is likely that these works were custom made for the exact curve of the niches within the Zellerbach's vestibule. These works have a commanding presence which portray Giacometti’s ongoing fascination with space, line, and the metaphysical presence of forms.
Giacometti, initially known for his surrealistic sculptures, went on to expand his oeuvre with a number of decorative art pieces including lamps, tables, vases, and wall reliefs such as the present lot. He collaborated with friend and business partner Jean-Michel Frank, a key tastemaker in the world of interior design, and sold works from Frank's boutique on 140 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré – a partnership that eventually connected Giacometti with American interior designer Frances Elkins, further extending the former's influence across the Atlantic.
The Oiseau sculpture, cast in plaster, is emblematic of Giacometti’s nuanced understanding of form and abstraction. Though clearly avian in nature, its streamlined and minimal contours transform it into a totemic symbol rather than a literal bird. It is abstract yet evocative, sleek yet monumental. The sculpture’s piercing single eye commands the viewer’s attention, evoking the solemnity of an ancient deity. In many ways, Oiseau encapsulates the spirit of a transitional moment in art and design, a moment where the boundary between fine art and functional object dissolved, allowing for new and radical expressions of creativity.
A striking example of the sculpture’s broader cultural resonance is its presence in the world of fashion. In the September 1st, 1937 issue of Harper’s Bazaar, Giacometti’s Oiseau sculptures were captured in photographs by Man Ray as an elegant backdrop to Chanel’s couture – each bird lending an ethereal atmosphere. Even Madame Chanel herself was photographed amid these mysterious creatures, merging art, fashion, and surrealism into a single visual narrative.
The present examples of Oiseau offer collectors an exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire major plaster bas-reliefs by Giacometti from an historic pre-war interior. Commissioned by Frances Elkins for the vestibule in the residence of Mr. and Mrs. James D. Zellerbach, these birds were specially formed with more intensely curved wings, creating a sense of movement that draws the viewer inward, as though the bird is in mid-flight, enveloping the space with its plaster wings. It is likely that these works were custom made for the exact curve of the niches within the Zellerbach's vestibule. These works have a commanding presence which portray Giacometti’s ongoing fascination with space, line, and the metaphysical presence of forms.