Christie's Impressionist & Modern Art auction has just received a spectacular addition - Alberto Giacometti's La Jambe.
 The series of isolated body parts stems from Giacometti's war experiences |
The seven foot tall sculpture is to star in the highly-anticipated sale, which will also feature Wassily Kandinski's Studie fur improvision 8 and Claude Monet's Nympheas. La Jambe (A Leg) is expected to bring $10-15m as the highlight of the sculptural works on offer.
The bronze cast is characteristic of Giacometti's immediately recognisable style, featuring the thin, elongated form for which the artist has become known. It was the final work of a series in which Giacometti explored isolated body parts, the inspiration for which is said to stem from his personal wartime experiences.
The idea was first conceived in 1947, however La Jambe - which was intended to complete the series - would not be finished for a further 10 years and was only cast in in 1958. Also included in the series is La Main (A Hand), Le Nez (a Nose) and Tete sur tige (Head on Rod). Tete sur tige will also feature in the November 7 auction, with an estimate of $6-8m.
In May 2010, a 1948 cast of La Main brought an impressive $25.8m to Christie's, achieving a 72% increase on its $15m high estimate. This, combined with the fact that all five of the top prices for Giacometti's work at auction have been achieved in the last five years, spells excellent results for the current auction.
September saw the sale of Alberto's brother, Bruno Giacometti's estate, featuring a remarkable collection of items relating to the highly-artistic family. Sign up to Paul Fraser Collectibles' free weekly newsletter to see the results of this sale and more of the latest news on art collecting and investment.
