Fondation Giacometti

In 1957, Stravinsky went to Paris to conduct the recording of the musical part of the ballet Agon that took place on 11 October 1957 in the Salle Pleyel. This score was a commission by Lincoln Kirstein and Georges Balanchine for the New York City Ballet and it had been created in June in Los Angeles (the ballet itself was to be created only in December 1957 in New York). On the occasion of the Parisian recording and in view of its edition as a record by Vega, Stravinsky and Giacometti met, the sleeve for the record having been commissioned from Giacometti. As Stravinsky recounted, Giacometti had made a few drawings from photographs before their meeting. Following that meeting, a great friendship developed between the two men and on the 12 October 1957, Giacometti made other drawings of the composer from life. The recording appeared in 1958 at Vega Records and with a drawing representing Stravinsky’s head, probably from life. The two men were to see each other again at each of Stravinsky’s visits to Paris and other sittings took place. Two sorts of drawing representing Stravinsky by Giacometti exist: those made in 1957 from photographs, for the record sleeve, and those, executed from 1957 to 1965, made from life. The drawing catalogued as “Igor Stravinsky conduisant n°II” is one of the three known drawings representing Stravinsky conducting, all three probably made from the same photograph. According to Annette Giacometti’s notes of the time, it was exhibited in Giacometti’s lifetime (outside the catalogue) in the artist’s retrospective at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (September-October 1965).

Signed and dated with lead pencil at the bottom right corner "Alberto Giacometti 1957"

1965 Alberto Giacometti, Humlebæk (Denmark), Louisiana Museum for Moderne Kunst, from September 18th to October 24th 1965, no. hors catalogue