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20 Extraordinary Highlights of 20th-Century Design
Sales in Paris and Milan feature iconic works by Diego Giacometti, Les Lalanne and masters of Italian design.
T hey’re two of the world’s most trend-setting cities: Paris and Milan. On 6-15 November, Sotheby’s is hosting two exceptional auctions of 20th-century design: this edition of the biannual Important Design auction will be the first to take place in our new Paris headquarters, while an online Design sale hosted from Milan will feature examples that have shaped the history of Italian design.
Read on for 20 highlights from both sales.
On 14 November at 14:30 CET is a live auction reuniting emblematic pieces of storied design, including a section called “Poésie sculptée” that will feature major works by Alberto and Diego Giacometti as well as Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne.
Claude Lalanne’s ‘Pomme à deux bouches’
Claude Lalanne’s Pomme à deux bouches are the perfect expression of the artist’s surrealist spirit, where nature and the imaginary come together. This intriguing sculpture has a secret: inside, each half reveals the delicate molding of a mouth – in this case, those of Hélène Rochas and Kim d’Estainville, who kiss passionately once the work is closed. This fascinating game of forbidden fruit, so dear to Rene Magritte, offers a poetic work of love and mystery, typical of Claude Lalanne’s universe
Diego Giacometti’s ‘Chat Maître d’Hôtel’
Diego Giacometti’s Chat Maître d’Hôtel is a work that perfectly embodies the artist’s characteristic sense of humor. The feline, standing on its hind legs, was designed to sit inside a cage used to feed the birds at the Fondation Maeght in Saint Paul de Vence. The image of the cat, a traditional predator of birds – metamorphosed here into a benevolent guardian, carrying seeds in its bowl to satiate the birds – adds a touch of surrealism. Diego Giacometti, renowned for his love of animals, liked to breathe life and movement into his sculptures, and le Chat Maître d’Hôtel is no exception. In an elegant, anthropomorphic pose, he offers his assistance with a carefully served meal. This play of contrasts between the cat’s expected role and its presence in a space dedicated to birds creates a work that is both amusing and profound, where sculpture becomes a scene of peaceful coexistence. This blend of utility and art, so dear to Diego Giacometti, makes our Chat Maître d’Hôtel more than just a sculpture. The work becomes visual poetry, a nod to nature and the complex relationship between predator and prey.
François-Xavier Lalanne’s Pair of ‘Singes attentifs I et II’
The figure of the monkey occupies an essential place in François-Xavier Lalanne’s bestiary, whether in his functional works or, as here, in his purest sculpture. Known respectively as Singe attentif I and Singe attentif II, they form an iconic pair among the most admired in the artist’s animal universe. Cast in 2000, the artist patinated them in cloudy green hues. True icons, our Capuchins, with their watchful eyes and peaceful smiles, seem to wake up in a hieratic posture, with an obvious benevolence on the world around them. They perfectly illustrate François-Xavier Lalanne’s ability to make his art so universal. The Capuchins combine rigorous elegance and stylized form, while animating their expression with a playfulness that makes them irresistible.
Alberto Giacometti’s ‘Lampadaire modèle Figure dit aussi Tête de femme, version étroite’
The present model of Alberto Giacometti’s Tête de femme floor lamp, distinguished by its narrow base and elongated shaft, was only produced between 1933 and 1939 – unlike the second version, which was manufactured until the 1980s. To date, only three examples of this version have been referenced by the Alberto Giacometti Foundation, including our floor lamp
François-Xavier Lalanne’s ‘Grand Chevreuil’
Le Grand Chevreuil is an emblematic work by François Xavier Lalanne, revealing both his poetic vision of nature and his surrealistic sense of humor, transforming the animal into a functional object. The present piece occupies an important place in Lalanne’s body of work: here, the deer’s flattened back becomes a plateau, turning the work into a sculptural console. The clean lines are reminiscent of the animal’s silhouette, while its imposing size, noble posture and raised muzzle, as if on alert, captivate the eye and stimulate the imagination. In this example, the stylized, elegant form evokes both the majesty and the wild grace of the deer, in which the function of a piece of furniture is delicately integrated and becomes a work of art
Diego Giacometti’s ‘La promenade des amis rug’
In 1984, Diego Giacometti created the carpets La Rencontre and La Promenade des amis. The sculptor transposes his poetic universe into wool by playing skillfully with the support. A carpet model illustrates his creative process: on a sheet of kraft paper cut to the dimensions of the future rug, Diego pastes his decor, made from cut-out Canson paper, which evokes Chinese shadow puppets. It is from this model that the movers will weave the carpets by hand. A true game of illusion, his carpets simulate the shadow of one of his tables on a carpet of light color: the structure of the table forms the framework of its composition, on which the bestiary of the promenade des amis unfolds
“Le merveilleux est toujours beau, il n’y a même que le merveilleux qui soit beau. (The marvelous is always beautiful, in fact only the marvelous is beautiful.)”
- André Breton
François-Xavier Lalanne’s ‘Lampe Pigeon’
François-Xavier Lalanne’s Lampe Pigeon is an iconic work in his repertoire. With its rounded lines and luminous belly, it perfectly illustrates the artist’s spirit, joyfully blurring the boundaries between sculpture and utilitarian object. When the luminaire was presented in 1991, François-Xavier Lalanne placed his work in the history books, humorously referring to Charles Pigeon and the famous lamp, known as the Pigeon, presented at the 1900 Exposition Universelle: “It took Mr. Pigeon to make a clever son for Mrs. Pigeon to invent a gasoline lamp that could bear his name and take him around the world. It didn’t take any less for me, at the sight of a pigeon gorging itself on a you, to imagine making a lamp from it, the name of which would be self-evident.”
Diego Giacometti’s ‘Grecque table’
The present Greek table was acquired by the current owner directly from Diego Giacometti, who opened the doors of his studio to collectors and friends as early as 1966. His poetic work attracted a discerning clientele, seduced by his vision of furniture as sculpture. Diego Giacometti began each creation with plaster models, paying particular attention to proportions and the smallest details, before casting them in bronze, with subtle patina effects. His pieces captivated connoisseurs such as Hubert de Givenchy, Adrien Maeght, Jean Cocteau and Henri Samuel, who recognized in his work a timelessness conversant with masterpieces from different eras.
François-Xavier Lalanne’s ‘Agneau,’ from the Nouveaux moutons series
In 1997, Francois-Xavier Lalanne created a series known as Nouveaux moutons, in which the artist made a ram, an ewe and a lamb. This new series was presented to the public for the first time at Les Lalanne à Bagatelle held in Paris in 1998. It was an immediate success, with the Parc de Bagatelle transformed into a meadow where dozens of sculptures seemed to graze. We present the ram, two ewes and the lamb. Among them, the lamb, synonymous of innocence and gentleness, delighted children and enlightened art lovers alike. A symbol in art and literature throughout history, François-Xavier Lalanne’s work here is full of tenderness, and its success testifies to the universality of the artist’s visual language.
Alberto Giacometti’s ‘Applique Poing’
In the 1930s, Alberto Giacometti created three sconce models featuring a hand holding a luminous bowl, which he named La Main, La Griffe and Le Poing. Delicate, disturbing or powerful, they stimulate our imagination. The Poing sconce, here in its patinated bronze and alabaster version, embodies restrained strength and silent wisdom. The clenched fist, frozen in controlled tension, symbolizes both resistance and restraint. With this powerful gesture, Albert Giacometti offers a work in which the hand, simple and expressive, becomes a universal symbol, a bearer of hope. The alabaster bowl holding back the light. The contrast between the materials – bronze, solid and durable, and alabaster, translucent and delicate – creates a dialogue between light and shadow, suggesting that strength and wisdom coexist. The sconce becomes a metaphor for the human spirit, capable of closing in on itself, but also of radiating its inner energy.
François-Xavier Lalanne’s ‘Capricorne I’
Capricorne I by François-Xavier Lalanne is an important work made by the sculptor. An identical model with a similar brown patina occupied a special place in the artists’ home, standing in front of the fireplace in their living room in Ury, and welcoming the couple’s friends and collectors from the moment it was conceived in 1988. The present Capricorn I, made in 1991, symbolizes the creative genius of François-Xavier Lalanne and his attraction to Greek mythology, which he discovered while working as a guard at the Louvre in 1949. From the Latin capricornus, or “horned goat,” it is the animal that fed Zeus during his childhood. According to legend, one of his horns broke and the nymphs filled it with fruit for Zeus. This is where the expression “horn of plenty” comes from. Capricorn I reflects both François-Xavier Lalanne’s poetic imagination and his attraction to ancient myths, making this work a bridge between art and legend, imbued with symbolism and creativity
Diego Giacometti’s ‘Altant et Caryatid’
The pair formed by the Caryatid and the Atlant, hieratic figures reduced to their essential volumes, testifies to the influence of antiquity in the work of Diego Giacometti. Although Diego is the master of nature, when he attacks the human figure, he emits an undeniable strength and power, as these sculptures show. These Caryatids and Atlants were also chosen by Diego to decorate some tables, chenets and decorative elements. But here, presented as works of art in their own right, they express the power of the sculptor’s gesture in all its purity.
François-Xavier Lalanne’s ‘Bélier’ from the Nouveaux moutons series
After his first moutons de laine in 1965 and his moutons de pierre in 1979, François-Xavier Lalanne created a new series called Nouveaux moutons in 1997. A ram, an ewe and a lamb came to light under the sculptor’s nimble eye. This new series marked an important step in the development of his work. The purity of the line is pushed to the limit, creating a striking realism while retaining the playfulness that is so dear to the artist. This series, presented for the first time at Les Lalanne à Bagatelle exhibition in 1998, immediately attracted the attention of the public and the critics. The Bagatelle park, was transformed for the occasion into a surrealist meadow and became the setting for a magical encounter between art and nature
Claude Lalanne’s ‘Lustre Structure végétale à douze lumières,’ pièce unique
Plant structures are omnipresent in Claude Lalanne’s work, in a variety of forms such as mirrors, candelabras and stair railings, but it is when they are transformed into chandeliers that they achieve a singular artistic expression. This gilded patinated bronze chandelier, embellished with delicately sculpted leaves, is a perfect illustration of this approach. A true tribute to nature, an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the artist, it captures the very essence of flora. With its harmonious proportions and carefully arranged ornamentation, this unique piece bears witness to Claude Lalanne’s genius for marrying the functional with the poetic. Our chandelier, while retaining its usefulness, becomes a work of art. Its gently curving branches and plant motifs make it much more than a simple decorative element, but a true celebration of nature in all its grace. This remarkable example underlines Claude Lalanne’s ability to infuse his creations with a timeless poetry, while remaining true to his artistic vision deeply rooted in the beauty of the natural world
Alberto Giacometti’s Osselet floor lamp, second version
Among the floor lamps Alberto Giacometti designed for Jean-Michel Frank in the 1930s, the Osselet model, created around 1936, is one of the most enigmatic. Its clean lines, the absence of motifs understandable at first glance, the choice of patinated bronze and the tripod base evoke an ancient civilization, awakening our imagination. When night falls, the floor lamp becomes a mysterious silhouette, seemingly from another continent and a distant era. And although the title chosen by Giacometti, Osselet, evokes a tangible reality, the re-appropriation of this singular element, ancestor of the dice in antiquity, anchors this luminaire in the artist’s surrealist work.
6-15 November will see an online sale dedicated to masterworks of Italian design, including examples by Gio Pnti and Max Ingrand, to name only two, as well as fine specimens of Murano glass.
Superstudio Group’s ‘Bazaar Sofa’
The “Bazaar” seating environment, created in 1968, was produced in a limited series by Giovanetti & Superstudio Group. It features five fiberglass shells coated in white lacquer, each with a cushioned interior lined with synthetic fur upholstery. Similar pieces are present in the most important Museum Design Collections
A Unique Desk by Mario Asnago and Claudio Vender
This personal desk was designed by Mario Asnago and Claudio Vender for the Claudio Vender’s private residence. A similar model was later designed in 1942 for the factory of tractors Vender’s project in via Manzoni, Cusano Milanino.
Melchiorre Bega’s Pair of Armchairs
Melchiorre Bega’s armchairs exude a refined elegance marked by their balanced simplicity and thoughtful design. These chairs, with their sleek wooden frames and subtly curved armrests, showcase Bega’s mastery in blending form and function. The warm wood tones complement the deep green upholstery, giving the chairs a sophisticated appeal. Bega’s work here captures the essence of mid-century Italian design, where elegance is achieved through clean lines, organic shapes, and a harmonious combination of materials.
Osvaldo Borsani’s Chandelier
Osvaldo Borsani was an influential Italian designer known for merging modernist aesthetics with fine craftsmanship. His work includes elegant furniture and chandeliers, blending functionality with luxurious materials. This chandelier represents the elegance of the designer.
Gio Ponti & Giulio Minoletti’s Pair of Armchairs from the First-Class Carriages of the ‘Settebello’ ETR 300 Train
Gio Ponti and Giulio Minoletti designed an iconic pair of armchairs around 1952 for the luxurious First-Class carriages of Italy's Settebello ETR 300 train. Known for their sleek, modern lines and comfort, these chairs reflect the elegance and innovation of mid-century Italian design, enhancing the Settebello’s reputation as a symbol of refined, high-speed rail travel.
