''L'Homme au doigt'' (, "The Man with the Finger"; also called ''Pointing Man'' or ''Man Pointing'') is a 1947 bronze sculpture by
Alberto Giacometti, that became the most expensive sculpture ever when it sold for US$141.3 million on 11 May 2015.
Giacometti made six casts of the work plus one artist's proof. ''Pointing Man'' is in the collections of New York's
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
, London's
Tate Gallery
Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...
, and the
Des Moines Art Center
The Des Moines Art Center is an art museum with an extensive collection of paintings, sculpture, modern art and mixed media. It was established in 1948 in Des Moines, Iowa.
History
The Art Center traces its roots to 1916, when the Des Moines A ...
. One of the others is also in a museum, and the rest are in foundation collections or owned privately.
''L’homme au doigt'' sold for $126 million, or $141.3 million with fees, in Christie's 11 May 2015 ''Looking Forward to the Past'' sale in New York, a record for a sculpture at auction. The work had been in
Sheldon Solow's private collection for 45 years.
Christie's called it a "rare masterpiece", and "Giacometti’s most iconic and evocative sculpture", and estimated that it would sell "in the region of $130 million".
Christie's also noted that the cast in their auction is believed to be the only one that Giacometti "painted by hand in order to heighten its expressive impact".
Another Giacometti work, ''
L'Homme qui marche I'', had also been the
most expensive sculpture ever sold at auction, when it sold for £65 million (US$104.3 million) at
Sotheby's
Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...
, London on 3 February 2010.
See also
*
List of most expensive sculptures
This is a list of the highest known prices paid for sculptures.
Most valuable sculpture
Alberto Giacometti's ''L'Homme au doigt'' was auctioned for $141.3m at Christie's in May 2015, the highest price for any sculpture at auction.
Giacometti's '' ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Homme au doigt
Sculptures by Alberto Giacometti
1947 sculptures
Bronze sculptures
Sculptures of the Museum of Modern Art (New York City)
Sculptures of the Tate galleries
Bronze sculptures in New York City
Bronze sculptures in the United Kingdom
2015 in art