Diego Giacometti’s ‘La Table-Berceau, Première Version’

 “I like creating useful things, things that serve a purpose.”

Diego Giacometti’s humble nature as a designer and craftsman are fully encompassed in the design of La Table-Berceau, Première Version.  The simplicity of form juxtaposed with the rich and deep texture fully embody the ethos of the designer. 

Raised in the Swiss countryside surrounded by an artistic family, Diego quickly adopted his natural surroundings as a primary source of inspiration.  Consistently throughout his oeuvre, we find isolated elements of naturalistic inspiration consciously placed to draw our adoration to the material. While the use of animal iconography was most commonly used by the artist, La Table-Berceau, Première Version presents us with a single flower placed in the center, grounding us to the metal from the earth it came – connecting us back to the true original source material.

“I like commissions – they’re fertile ground for the imagination, and always stimulate me.”

Diego and his brother were represented over the course of their careers by an equally well-known gallery in New York which often served as de-facto home base for many European artists in New York City, before, during and after the Second World War.

Pierre Matisse, the youngest son of Henri Matisse, soon realized his talent in in the arts through fostering artistic endeavors and championing the work of his peers and contemporaries. Pierre Matisse opened his gallery in 1931 after moving to New York in the twenties and quickly came to represent a host of the most famous and celebrated European artists of the twentieth century. Miro, Chagall, Dubuffet and both Alberto and Diego Giacometti, among many others, were introduced to the American market through his now iconic East 57th Street gallery.

Pierre Matisse and Diego Giacometti worked closely for nearly four decades on numerous commissions both large and small. The present La Table-Berceau, Première Version being offered is a slight variation based off the custom example that Pierre Matisse personally commissioned Diego Giacometti to design for his gallery’s office.  The present lot will include copies of the original written correspondence regarding the commission between Pierre Matisse, Diego Giacometti and the present owner.

La Table-Berceau, Première Version will be featured in Hindman’s November 12 Modern Design auction.