From auctions dedicated to modern art to sessions of ancient books and jewelry, the week offers a packed schedule for collectors and market operators.
Which modern art auctions open the week in Italy?
In Italy, the program opens on Thursday, February 26, 2026, with Viscontea, which in Milan presents the auction Milano Decor – Antiques, Fine Art and Carpets, dedicated to furniture, carpets, and art objects. Also in the Lombard capital, Finarte offers a sale focused on Renato Casaro with the event The Cinema: Posters and Cinematic Sketches, while in Genoa Wannenes concludes its auction on Italian Design and Style. Finarte also organizes an auction dedicated to Naples – “History of a City and Its Territory.”
During the same period, until February 26, Farsetti Arte organizes a timed sale dedicated to 19th and 20th Century Paintings and Drawings, with a catalog covering over a century of European painting.
Additionally, Cambi opens in Genoa the session dedicated to Antiquities, which will continue until mid-March, confirming its role in the Italian antiques segment.
That said, also on February 26, the house Ponte closes the auction dedicated to Ancient and Artist Books, with a specific focus on author editions. On the same date, Bertolami Auction House completes a sale centered on Numismatic Literature, a segment that intersects history, collecting, and specialist research.
How does the schedule continue between comics, jewelry, and watches?
On February 27, Finarte returns to the spotlight in Milan with the auction WOW Museo del Fumetto: a new beginning, dedicated to the universe of comics and its collectible variations. In parallel, from February 27 to March 10, Colasanti opens online bids for a Web Only Jewelry and Watches sale, focused on fine jewelry and wristwatches.
During the same period, Maison Bibelot also offers the selection Roberta Balsamo: fantasies of the Orient, a collection of jewel bags with a refined cut. In this context, the market shows a clear interest in hybrid objects between fashion accessories and applied art, often particularly appreciated by more transversal collectors.
What happens with the arrival of March on the Italian front?
With the beginning of March, the pace of auctions does not slow down. On March 2, the spotlight shifts to Naples for NAPOLI800900, an event by Blindarte that explores artistic production between the 19th and 20th centuries. Meanwhile, Pananti continues its sale of Antiquities and Authors of the 19th and 20th centuries, active until March 2, creating an ideal bridge between historical collecting and modern taste.
Subsequently, with a deadline set for March 3, Pananti turns to a timed auction dedicated to Modern and Contemporary Art, confirming the growing weight of this segment in the Italian market. Additionally, on March 3, Capitolium Art offers a virtual sale of Modern Graphics, Photography, and Multiples, which attracts an audience interested in 20th-century editions and serial productions.
The following day, Babuino Auction House organizes an auction focused on furniture and modern art, also including works from the 19th century, demonstrating a deliberately transversal approach. Also on March 3, Maison Bibelot launches a sale dedicated to Collectible Graphics, while Farsetti Arte presents a new timed auction reserved for silverware, with the catalog titled Argenti.
Which Italian auctions close the week?
In Florence, the house Gonnelli schedules from March 3 to 5 an important auction of Books, Autographs, and Manuscripts, with an offer ranging from bibliophilia to the history of ideas. In parallel, on March 4, Aste Bolaffi holds the auction Smart Auction – Modern and Contemporary Art, which focuses on a flexible digital format while maintaining high quality in the cataloged works.
On the same date, in Rome, Finarte presents the second part of the catalog Napoli 2500: History of a City and Its Territory (part II), which delves into the urban and cultural story of the Neapolitan capital. Additionally, also on March 4, Capitolium Art offers an online auction dedicated to 20th Century Design and Decorative Arts – Murano Glass Online, primarily focused on Murano glass production of the 20th century.
What is the international landscape of modern art auctions this week?
Abroad, the calendar is equally complex. On February 26, Christie’s concludes in New York the session Contemporary Edition: New York and also offers the auction Post-War to Present, which focuses on post-war and contemporary art. On the same day, Bonhams completes several online sales, including Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, Entertainment Memorabilia, and Vintage Posters Online, confirming attention to specific curatorial segments.
Also on February 26, the Parisian house Tajan presents an auction dedicated to Wines & Spirits, while Sotheby’s concludes the sale Modern Discoveries, focused on modernist works with strong market potential. Additionally, Cornette de Saint-Cyr closes a cellar auction linked to the world of haute cuisine, while in Vienna, the Dorotheum concentrates the day on online sales of Jewelry and Watches, the Otto and Renée Schenk Collection, and another jewelry auction.
In Germany, in Augsburg, Drouot closes bids related to a sale that includes Jewelry, Fashion, Watches, Coins, Furniture, and Graphics, with a deliberately broad catalog. On February 27, Sotheby’s presents RM Sotheby’s | Miami and concludes the auctions Contemporary Discoveries and private sales between New York and Paris; on the same date, Christie’s closes its online auction of Outsider Art in New York, dedicated to unconventional artistic expressions.
What key events close the international program?
On February 28, Sotheby’s returns to the forefront in the United States with ModaMiami | Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions, centered on high-end real estate and lifestyle. On the same day, Phillips organizes an important live session of Modern & Contemporary Art in New York, which helps gauge collectors’ appetite for the market’s most dynamic segment.
With the start of the March week, the baton passes again to Drouot, which on March 2 offers a sale of Wines and Spirits, while Tajan offers the fashion auction Vintage et Contemporain ‘Prêt-à-Porter’. On March 3, Phillips launches the online session Modern & Contemporary Art Online in London, extending the digital offer to a global audience.
On March 4, Artcurial presents in Paris Chairs Anatomy: The W. Löffler Collection, focused on chair design, while Sotheby’s holds a Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction in London, a moment to verify the sector’s top values. On the same date, Piasa offers in Paris the auctions FROM BAUHAUS TO POST-WAR DESIGN and VILLA SANTO SOSPIR, intertwining design history and significant provenances.
What is the common thread among the week’s various auctions?
Overall, the international calendar highlights how modern art, 20th-century design, and ancient books coexist with more specialized segments, from comics to numismatics. For collectors, it is a week full of opportunities, where the comparison between Italian and international venues allows real-time capture of the evolution of trends, from the demand for modern art to the growing interest in hybrid categories between art, fashion, and collectible objects.
In this context, even the details of individual lots, such as the jade pendant with dragons and phoenixes from China (pierced jade, about 9 x 19 cm), photographed by the Viscontea Auction House, testify to the catalogs’ attention to pieces of strong aesthetic quality. The overall picture thus returns an extremely lively market, crossing mediums, eras, and geographies, with a wide range of auctions capable of reaching different audiences.
Image: Filippo Morghen, Le Antichita di Pozzuoli, Baja, e Cuma, 1769 – Courtesy Finarte
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
She is also a marketing teacher at Digital Coach in Milan and she published a book about NFTs for the Italian publishing house Mondadori, while she is also helping artists and company to entering in the sector. As advisor, Amelia is also involved in metaverse-related project such as The Nemesis and OVER.
