Scheduled to be held by Christie's on September 28th 2002 in Paris, a sale of Alberto Giacometti's works finally took place in the Drouot salesrooms after a Paris court ruled against it. The court estimated that it was not a voluntary sale, in which case Christie's would have been allowed to hold it, due to the fact that the succession of the Swiss artist who died in 1966 was under the care of a judicial administrator. The latter had asked for such venue to meet running costs as part of the succession.
24 lots, which totalled 6 million euros, were in fact sold as the sale was stopped when such amount, in fact the sum required by the administrator of the succession, was reached. The remaining six lots were thus returned to the succession.
Observers feared that the sale due to be organised by Christie's would be postponed indefinitely due to the court decision, reached on September 25th 2002, but an arrangement was found whereas it would take place under the auspices of the Drouot organisation, the sole allowed to hold judicial sales in France.
Adrian Darmon
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