Beschreibung:

Property from an Important French CollectionAlberto Giacometti"Tête de femme" ("Figure") Floor Lamp
designed circa 1933-1934offered en suite with the following lotpatinated bronze60⅝ in. (154 cm) high, excluding fittingsCondition reportOverall in very good condition. When viewed firsthand, the present floor lamp with esteemed provenance, offered en suite with the following lot, presents with a superb and well-preserved black patina. Some very minimal soiling and verdigris to the recessed areas consistent with age. The bronze surfaces with minor irregularities to the casting which are inherent to production and contribute to the sculptural aspect of the piece. Sotheby's does not guarantee electrical components and recommends having all wiring inspected by a licensed electrician.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.ProvenanceRomain Gary and Jean Seberg, Paris, circa 1962
Thence by descent
Christie's Paris, June 1, 2021, lot 33
Acquired from the above by the present ownerLiteratureMichel Butor, Diego Giacometti Paris, 1985, p. 125
Françoise Francisci, Catalogue de l'œuvre de Diego Giacometti vol. 1, Paris, 1986, n.p.
Daniel Marchesseau, Diego Giacometti Paris, 1986, p. 11
Léopold Diego Sanchez, Jean-Michel-Frank, Adolphe Chanaux, Paris, 1997, pp. 115 and 250
Christian Boutonnet and Rafael Ortiz, Diego Giacometti  Paris, 2003, p. 34
Pierre-Emmanuel Martin-Vivier, Jean-Michel-Frank: L'étrange luxe du rien, Paris, 2006, pp. 143, 198, 250
Daniel Marchesseau, Diego Giacometti sculpteur de meubles, Paris, 2018, p. 30Catalogue noteThis lot is offered together with a certificate of authenticity from the Comité Giacometti and is recorded in the Alberto Giacometti database.
The present lot is an exceptional example of one of Giacometti’s most iconic design creations, and stands as one of the great achievements of his collaboration with Jean-Miche Frank. Somewhere between figuration and abstraction, the treatment of the surfaces of the design recall some of the most successful and compelling Surrealist compositions. The bust of a woman constitutes the focal point of the work and interrupts the otherwise abstract construction of the elongated form.  
Alberto Giacometti’s training as a sculptor and artist is evident in the work that he produced for Jean-Michel-Frank. Son of an impressionist painter, Giacometti revealed a precocious artistic talent, and throughout his career, he drew on the influence of cubism, surrealism, and ancient European and African art. Giacometti's involvement with the decorative arts started in the 1930s at the beginning of his repute, when he started to collaborate with the internationally acclaimed decorator Jean-Michel-Frank. For him, he designed beautiful pieces of furniture for the decorator’s signature interiors, characterized by extreme simplicity of forms and limited colors. Giacometti's original designs were sought after by the Parisian elite, and together with Frank, they decorated the most prestigious apartments.
When Giacometti began creating decorative arts for Jean-Michel-Frank, it was first for economic necessity. The decorator was fond of the intense but simple shapes imagined by Giacometti when he sculpted Reclining Woman. More than a working relationship, both forged a strong friendship that ended with Jean-Michel-Frank's death. For Frank’s work, Giacometti designed his most emblematic decorative arts. Indeed, his “utilitarian objects,” as he would define them, stretched the boundaries of both design and sculpture and exemplified the essence of Giacometti's style, an exciting mix of Surrealism influence and admiration for elongated human forms. Important patrons such as Nelson Rockefeller and the fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli commissioned the iconic duo to decorate their homes.