The Giacometti of Hubert de Givenchy, Christie’s Paris, 9 avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris, 6th March 2017
Hubert de Givenchy’s Manor at Le Jonchet
©Christie’s Images, Ltd, 2017
There are twenty-one pieces in this sale and they will be displayed in the week-long viewing prior to the sale in a manner that recalls the 1986 Diego Giacometti exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. A couple of the pieces are decorated with deer symbols which reflect that Hubert de Givenchy was named after the Patron Saint of hunters Saint-Hubert.
Diego Giacometti 1902-1985
Grande table console aux cerfs
Bronze à patine vert antique et chêne cérusé /
patinated bronze and cerused oak
H 85 x L 230 x P 70 cm / 33½ x 90½ x 27½ in
Estimation : €400.000-600.000
I think it is only right to let the iconic designer sum this important sale up: “It is thanks to Gustav Zumsteg, an important fabric creator in Zurich, whose company was called Abraham, that I met Diego Giacometti. During one of my visits to Zurich, he offered me a gueridon made by Diego for the Kronenhalle, the famous restaurant owned by his family. Fascinated by its pure aesthetic, I asked him if it was possible to meet the artist and he introduced him to me shortly afterwards. The relationship I had with Diego for nearly 20 years turned quickly into friendship. He was a very kind man, simple, welcoming, discreet, and a talented craftsman. He started to create some pieces for my first house at Jouy at the end of 1960, and then for the manor of Le Jonchet at the beginning of the 1970’s. With this sale, I want to pay a further tribute to him, an additional recognition which he does not need, but which shows how important he was to me.”
Hubert de Givenchy’s Manor at Le Jonchet
©Christie’s Images, Ltd, 2017
Hubert de Givenchy’s Manor at Le Jonchet
©Christie’s Images, Ltd, 2017
Hubert de Givenchy’s Manor at Le Jonchet
©Christie’s Images, Ltd, 2017
Tim Forrest's E & A 