GENEVA.- Piguet Hôtel des Ventes announced an important selection of Swiss art in its upcoming Modern and Contemporary Art sale. Among the highlights is “Table Grecque” by Diego Giacometti (1902–1985), created circa 1965 in brown patinated bronze and estimated at CHF 200,000–300,000 (lot 22). Recently rediscovered and authenticated by Piguet’s specialists, it will be offered at a saleroom auction for the first time on 10 June, starting at 6 pm.

Diego Giacometti and the Art of transforming furniture into Works of Art

Considered one of the leading creators of artist-designed furniture in the 20th century, Diego Giacometti sought throughout his long and prolific career to create objects that were both beautiful and functional. His work is distinguished by a poetic vocabulary combining classical references, animal motifs, and remarkable delicacy in modelling. His tables, particularly sought after today, are characterized by elegant structures with finely sculpted legs and a subtle balance between sculpture and furniture design. The “Table Grecque” presented in June is among the most emblematic and stylistically significant models of his oeuvre.

A Provenance at the heart of the Great French Dynasties of the 20th Century

The Table Grecque that Piguet Hôtel des Ventes has the privilege of offering at auction comes from the collection of the Prouvost-Segard family and most likely belonged to Marguerite Ségard (1906–2000). By birth, she belonged to the influential Prouvost family, whose economic rise and cultural influence profoundly shaped the 20th century. Her uncle, Jean Eugène Prouvost, simultaneously developed a powerful industrial and media empire, notably through several major French press titles such as Le Figaro, Paris Match, Marie Claire, and Paris Midi.

Through her marriage in 1927 to Jacques Ségard (1901–1983), an industrialist and director within her uncle’s company, Marguerite Ségard joined another prominent lineage of industrialists and notable families from northern France. Living at the Hôtel de Bérulle in Paris’s 7th arrondissement and moving within the circle of the Parisian cultural elite, the couple assembled an important art collection (Manet, Monet, Léger and Bonnard).

At the end of the 20th century, the table adorned one of the salons of the family mansion, as evidenced by a watercolor painted at that time. Following a move, it was subsequently placed in storage in Switzerland. Gradually forgotten over time, it remained out of sight before recently reappearing during the course of an estate inventory.

An oil painting by Félix Vallotton appearing at auction for the first time

Another undisputed master of Swiss art, Félix Vallotton will be represented on 10 June by a landscape emblematic of his oeuvre. The simplification of forms and the silent, almost suspended atmosphere of the composition reflect the engraving background of this “foreign Nabi.” The provenance of this work is exceptional, tracing directly back to the artist’s estate, then to Galerie Vallotton in Lausanne, and finally to a Swiss private collection for over 40 years. Estimated at CHF 200,000–300,000, the oil painting Effet de pluie à Tournedos is being offered on the auction market for the first time (lot 37, live sale on 10 June).