Alberto Giacometti

Galerie Beyeler, Basel
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1973

Basel, Kunstmuseum Basel, Alberto Giacometti Zeichnungen und Druckgraphic, 1981

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, hinged to the mount at the top two corners. There is a horizontal line of medium rubbing executed by the artist running across the centre of the sheet (visible in the catalogue illustration). The left edge is uneven and there is a thin line of glue residue running along the top edge. Apart from time staining to the centre of the sheet and some light handling marks to all four edges, this work is in good condition. Colours: the paper tone is warmer and the medium is slightly lighter in the original.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

An avid art collector and benefactor, Peter Watson collected works by artists such as Miro, Giacometti, Klee and Picasso, which were displayed in his Paris apartment in the 1930s onwards. He was perhaps best-known for funding the literary magazine Horizon, edited by Cyril Connolly, and for being the principle benefactor of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. 

The present drawing relates to a magnificent oil painting of the same subject of 1953, commissioned by Watson himself and now in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York (fig. 1). In the early 1950s, Watson visited Paris often to sit for Giacometti. Very likable and pleasant in character, Watson was an elegant man with lean, angular and sharply drawn features. The present drawing magnificently demonstrates both the intensity of this figure, with his haunting and poignant stare, as well as his amiable nature, visible in his gentle pose. A masterful draughtsman, Giacometti had an astounding ability to capture the character and psychological presence of his sitters.