On the Money (aka, The Price Is Right)

Alberto Giacometti, "Grande femme debout II" (1960)
Estimate on request
Lot 36, Christie’s Impressionist & Modern Evening Sale, May 6

There’s a famous photograph of Giacometti hugging a plaster version from this series in his Paris studio courtyard in 1961. The intimacy of that spontaneous pose carries through to this Amazon-scaled bronze, initially conceived at the request of architect Gordon Bunshaft for the outdoor sculpture plaza at the Chase Manhattan Bank skyscraper on Wall Street. The commission was never realized.

But we do have this sculpture, an ultra-thin female nude, with arms clasped tightly at her sides, gazing unflinchingly straight ahead. The work, from an edition of 6, stands nearly nine feet tall.

"Grande Femme II" was last seen at auction in May 1987 in the Lambert Collection sale at Christie’s New York, when storied dealer Sidney Janis acquired it for a then-record $3.6 million (est. $1.5-2 million). The related "Grande Femme Debout I" sold at Christie’s New York in November 2000 for a then-record $14,306,000.

Christie’s cautious, unpublished estimate (in the region of $18 million) gives plenty of wiggle room. Wishful-thinking bidders may sense a “bargain” in the offing.

© 2008 Christie’s Images Ltd.