Fondation Giacometti

Four portraits of Oscar Meyer are known, made in pencil by Giacometti, all in 1959. Among these, only two bear the exact date of the sitting: 3 May 1959. Even though one of the drawings bears the inscription by the artist “For Oscar Meyer till the next sitting, me being less asleep or rather less blind”, another sitting does not seem to have taken place. This drawn portrait was sold by the Maeght Gallery. It is referred to in the register of the gallery as “Portrait d’homme”. However, it is a real portrait, with recognizable features. A similar drawing was chosen by Giacometti to figure in a book of facsimiles, “Quarantacinque disegni di Alberto Giacometti”, published under the direction of Lamberto Vitali, with a preface by Jean Leymarie (Einaudi Editions, Turin, 1963). The caption of the reproduced drawing was: “N.32 Ritratto di Meyer, 1959, matita, mm 448x315. Proprietà dell’Artista”. (Portrait of Meyer, pencil, artist’s collection).

Signed and dated with a pencil at the bottom right corner "Alberto Giacometti. 1959."

Sale Christie's New York New York, NY, May 5th, 2010, lot n ° 242

2011 Salon du dessin 2011, Paris (France), Palais de la Bourse, from March 30th to April 4th 2011

Impressionist/Modern Works on Paper and Day Sale, New York, NY : Christie's New York, 2010, lot no. 242, p. 91
Salon du dessin 2011, Paris : Galerie Zlotowski, 2011