Diego Giacometti console achieves record $1.7m at Doyle New York

The auction record for the work of Diego Giacometti has been broken by a 1975 console at Doyle New York, surpassing the previous record by 185.3%.

Diego Giacometti auction record
The Giacometti brothers were all notable figures in their own artistic fields


The console, entitled Chevreuil, Biche et Bambi, sold for an outstanding $1.7m on April 8, beating the $617,751 record set at the auction of his brother Bruno's estate in September 2012.

The Giacometti brothers, Diego, Bruno and Alberto, left a remarkable impression on the art world, with each standing at the forefront of design, architecture and sculpture, respectively.

The console was made circa 1975, as a unique piece commissioned by French fashion designer Serge Matta, brother of the surrealist painter Roberto Matta. Matta was a passionate collector of Giacometti's work, with this piece intended for his country house in France.

It was accompanied in the sale by a letter from the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York to Matta, stating:

"Mon Cher Serge, Our friend Diego just told me that the console (…Chevreuil, Biche et Bambi, 81cm x 1.7m x 38 cm) that you commissioned for your country house is ready - it is preferable that you come to get it at his studio. I will be in Paris at the end of the month. Pierre."

The console was originally estimated at $600,000, though the price achieved represents a 193.7% increase on this valuation. Despite the dramatic bids, Diego's work still does not conjure the same prices as his brother Alberto, whose La Jambe sculpture appeared at Christie's in November with a $15m estimate.

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