In the Milan headquarters of the Finarte auction, the modern and contemporary art catalog highlights Marino Marini and Alberto Savinio, alongside a historic political collection.
How the Finarte modern and contemporary art auction unfolded
On December 3, 2025, in the spaces of Via dei Bossi 2 in Milan, Finarte presented a catalog of just over one hundred lots. In the room, protagonists of the Italian and international avant-garde of the twentieth century alternated, including Marino Marini, Alberto Savinio, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Max Ernst, and Andy Warhol. The auction was part of the end-of-year Milanese calendar, confirming the market’s attention to historicized works and excellent provenances.
The modern and contemporary art catalog, centered on about one hundred lots, showed a compact and well-calibrated selection. Additionally, the following day, an afternoon session was dedicated to the collection of Palmiro Togliatti and Nilde Iotti, expanding the focus to works strongly characterized from a historical and political point of view.
What were the top Italian lots in the Finarte auction?
Leading the first session was a rare bronze sculpture by Marino Marini, Piccolo Miracolo (1955–56). The work significantly exceeded the low estimate of 280,000 euros, achieving 345,750 euros, a sign of still very strong demand for the artist. Compared to other recent auctions, the result confirms the resilience of the mid-century Italian sculptural segment.
Immediately following was the work on paper Uomo con la Pipa by Alberto Savinio, from the early 1920s. The work surpassed the high estimate of 120,000 euros, reaching 235,950 euros. However, not all the awards recorded upward surprises: the sculpture Sfera (1978) by Arnaldo Pomodoro settled just above the lowest estimate, closing at 73,230 euros.
How did Italian artists of the second half of the twentieth century perform?
For the second half of the 20th century, the auction house recorded good results for the works of Carla Accardi, Emilio Vedova, and Piero Dorazio. The awards were concentrated in a range between 25,000 and 50,000 euros, confirming the stability of this market segment. Additionally, the catalog included eight works by Mario Schifano, of which only one remained unsold, testifying to a still widespread interest in the artist.
Among these stood out Il Cielo (1965), a work belonging to a cycle in which Schifano reinterprets the nineteenth-century pictorial poetics of John Constable. The work was awarded at 63,150 euros. Overall, the evening highlighted a selective attention of collectors, more oriented towards emblematic works or with a precise historical placement.
The response for international works
On the international front, the Surrealism of Max Ernst found a receptive audience. The painting Lune jaune (1960) was hammered at 85,830 euros, including fees, with a result in line with the growing demand for historical works in the surrealist area. In contrast to some signs of slowdown in other markets, the Milanese scene reacted positively to this proposal.
Victor Vasarely also performed well with Ellen (1974), which exceeded the high estimate of 60,000 euros, stopping at 75,750 euros. However, not all international names met the same demand: the work Mao Tse Tung (1972) by Andy Warhol, from the collection of Bianca Attolico, did not find a buyer. This outcome confirms a growing selectivity for subjects and provenances in the Pop Art market.
Why is the collection of Palmiro Togliatti and Nilde Iotti significant?
On December 4, the entire nucleus collected by Palmiro Togliatti and Nilde Iotti, central figures in Italian political history of the twentieth century, went up for auction. The catalog included an important group of paintings and drawings by Renato Guttuso, documenting a long friendship and a strong ideal closeness. Additionally, the presence of works related to the world of work and social issues strengthened the documentary value of the collection.
Guttuso’s works, focused on scenes of daily reality and themes related to the condition of workers, were awarded in a range between 2,000 and 20,000 euros. This range made works of strong historical significance accessible to a wide audience, as well as collectible. That said, the symbolic weight of the provenance decisively impacted the attractiveness of the lots.
What role did prestigious provenances play in the Finarte auction?
In the catalog dedicated to the Togliatti-Iotti collection, there were also works that belonged to the industrialist Giuseppe Verzocchi, a known supporter of the arts and commissioner of cycles on the theme of work. These presences highlighted Finarte’s growing attention to historically qualified provenances. In an increasingly competitive market, the traceability of collecting paths becomes a determining factor for value.
The Finarte Modern and Contemporary art auction in Milan thus confirmed a strategy oriented towards the selection of works with clear and recognizable biographies. Additionally, the combination of top lots by twentieth-century masters and a politically impactful collection allowed for the interception of different audiences, from historicized collectors to enthusiasts of civil memory.
Overall, the two days of sales between December 3 and 4, 2025, outline an auction house attentive to the quality and history of the works. The results obtained, between individual records and some significant unsold items, show a selective but receptive market for well-documented lots placed in a coherent curatorial context.
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.
