UK fights to keep unique bronze chandelier in Alberto Giacometti within its borders, enacting a temporary export ban to give a local institution a chance to match the £2.4 million ($2.9 million) purchase price of the work.
That’s a pretty penny, especially considering the fixture was only $700 when the British painter John Craxton discovered in a London antique shop in the 1960s. The artist immediately realized the significance of his find, as he recognized the work as having belonged to his late friend. Peter Watsonart collector and significant patron of mid-century arts in the UK
Watson commissioned Giacometti to create the chandelier for the London offices of his literary magazine, Horizonin 1946 or ’47.
“Giacometti’s masterful exploration of space and the use of bronze in this extraordinary chandelier provided a centerpiece for cultural discussion in post-war London as it hung in the offices of the magazine of avant-garde Horizonsaid Stephen Parkinson, Baron of Whitley Bay and Minister for Arts and Heritage, in a statement. “It’s a great example of sculptors blurring the lines between function and artistry in the decorative arts.”
by Alberto Giacometti Chandelier for Peter Watson when it hung at the artist John Craxton’s. Photo courtesy of Craxton Estate.
The publication closed about a year after the work was delivered, and Watson died in 1956. His former business partner, Cyril Connolly, probably inherited the luster, and from there he found himself at Denton Antiques on Marylebone Road, where Craxton picked him up. (He died in 2009, and the Craxton Estate sold the chandelier at the recent auction.)
The work sold to a foreign buyer Christie’s “20th/21st Century: London Evening Sale” in February. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s export ban follows the recommendation of the Commission for the examination of the export of works of art and property of cultural interest (RCEWA), administered by the Arts Council of England.
This is the second sculpture by Giacometti to come to the committee’s attention in recent years. In 2016, the UK tried to stop the overseas sale of Women (1928–29), the artist’s only entirely plaster piece in the country, for £2 million ($2.9 million).
At press time, Arts Council officials had been unable to determine whether or not the export ban on this piece had been successful in attracting a UK buyer.
Alberto Giacometti Women (1928–29). Photo courtesy of the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The UK can issue export bans if an object of cultural significance has been in the country for more than 50 years, exceeds the financial thresholds for an open general export license and meets at least one three Waverley Criteriawhich assess an object’s connection to national history and life, its aesthetic significance, and its value to scholarship.
The RCEWA found that the chandelier – with its golden brown patina, multi-layered frame and pendent spherical shell – qualified on all three fronts.
First, there is the aesthetic significance and uniqueness of the work, which is in excellent condition and representative of mid-20th century European avant-garde art and decorative arts.
Then there is Giacometti’s fame as a major sculptor of the 20th century, and the fact that this piece represents both a lesser-known facet of his practice, and a meeting of his surrealist work and his more naturalistic decorative pieces. .
Finally, the committee considered the importance of Horizon magazine in the elaboration of modern British painting, sculpture and literature, as well as Watson’s significance in the nation’s cultural history.
“[The chandelier] is an outstanding achievement of Giacometti’s work in the decorative arts and is the only known decorative art commission in the UK by the leading sculptor of the 20th century,” added Andrew Hochhauser, King’s Counsel and Chairman of the RCEWA. “It offers exceptional opportunities for the study of this neglected area of Giacometti’s production and the meeting of avant-garde art and European decorative arts in the middle of the tenth century. I sincerely hope he can find a home in this country where he can be studied and enjoyed.
The export ban will be in effect until at least November 12, possibly followed by a second four-month deferral period if there are offers matching the auction price. The final purchase cost will also need to include value added tax, or VAT, of £104,000 ($136,000). Museums and institutions that offer free admission are eligible for a VAT refund.
More trending stories:
Ornate Viking-era relic found by UK metal detector could fetch over $30,000 at auction
Art Industry News: More Museums Walk Away From David Adjaye After Allegations + Other Stories
Israeli first-grader stumbled across 3,500-year-old Egyptian amulet on school trip
Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay one step ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive breaking news, revealing interviews and incisive reviews that move the conversation forward.
