Diego Giacometti was born in a Swiss village close to the Italian border and is the son of Giovanni Giacometti known for art of the very best. He joined he brother Alberto in Paris and studied at the Academy of Grande Chaumiere before then going into sculpture.

It is very often hard to distinghuish the art of Diego from that of Alberto as they shared the same studio in Paris all of their lives. This is where they both executed luxury commissions of some of the very best and most cultured clients including the Maeght and Noailles families. Diego undertook his first animal art sculptures during World War II. During this period he regulary featured animals on his work including the famous Tree table with mouse, which was in the luxury collection of the emminent surgeon, Jean-Paul Binet. Diegos fascination with the animal kingdom in his art was due to the mythological world of his childhood.

The art of Diego Giacometti became known as being amusing or picturesque. One piece entitled The Ostrich, came about after Dr Binet gave an ostrich egg to Diego who then went on to intergrate it into an ostrich that he sculpted. His animal art at this time was rich and he prefered to sculpt animals that were known to have force, power and beauty such as lions, wolves and horses.

Diego had the luxury of using bronze in his art, this allowed him to be able to sculpt his work in great detail. He often used a method called, lost wax which helped him to gain a reputation of being one of the very best art sculptors of his time. Following the death of his brother Albert in 1966 he redoubled his efforts and went on to undertake work of great importance for famous interior decorators including Georges Geffroy and Henri Samuel. He also assembled public works including the Foundation Maeght in Saint Paul de Vence above Nice, along with the Picasso Museum in Paris.

In 1985 Diego Giacometti had an exhibition of his luxury furniture in the Marisa Del Re Gallery in New York and was the first one man show the 85 year old ever had. The art exhibition was installed with the greatest of care and contained numerous works which went on to ensure that his elegant and superbly proportioned objects that grew in reputation.

In 1986 a large selection of working material including more than 500 items from his art studio were given by his estate to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs of Paris. This was also an art exhibition of some of his very best sculptures held just a few months after his death.

Editorial | Image Courtesy Of Bonhams