The modern and contemporary art auction by Pandolfini recorded a total of 1.7 million euros, confirming the growing role of the auction house in Italy.
How did the November auction at Pandolfini conclude?
The autumn auction of modern and contemporary art by Pandolfini, hosted at the venue on Via Manzoni in Milan, took place on November 13 and reached a total of 1.7 million euros. The result, combined with the sales from the first half of the year, allows the department to surpass the previous year’s figures, pending the online sale that will complete the month’s calendar.
Overall, the outcome confirms the consolidation of the auction house in the Italian art market of the 20th and 21st centuries, with solid sales both on the international front and for national artists. Moreover, the generally good performance suggests a stable demand for museum-quality works.
What were the top international lots?
The top lot of the evening was Fernando Botero with Portrait (1966, lot 36), sold for 176,400 euros. The oil on canvas, of intense poetic sensitivity, reflects the intimate and symbolic universe of the Colombian artist, suspended between memory, sensuality, and a constant margin of mystery.
However, the international podium was shared with Pablo Picasso. The watercolor Le Petit Déjeuner (1959, lot 35), a free reinvention of Manet’s famous Déjeuner sur l’herbe, reached 138,600 euros.
The terracotta plaque Visage aux cheveux bouclés (1969, lot 23) stopped at 20,160 euros, confirming the interest in experimental production on supports other than canvas.
Which Italians led the catalog?
Among the Italians, Antonio Ligabue shone with Autoritratto triste (lot 19) sold for 157,500 euros, one of the evening’s highlights. Also by Ligabue, Lotta di bisonti (lot 61) totaled 23,940 euros, confirming the artist’s market solidity compared to more uncertain previous years.
Additionally, strong attention was given to Giorgio de Chirico. La grande torre (lot 29) was sold for 100,800 euros, while Piazza d’Italia and Cavalli, cavaliere e viandante (lots 30 and 31) achieved 51,660 euros and 20,160 euros respectively. The series of sales testifies to a constant demand for the different phases of the master’s metaphysical and subsequent journey.
How did the other catalog protagonists perform?
Among the most solid sales stands out Renato Guttuso with Finestra e tavolo da lavoro (1961, lot 32), sold for 75,600 euros. The result confirms the interest in works from the 1960s, where the political and everyday components intertwine with a dense and theatrical palette.
A good performance also for Filippo de Pisis, with Interno di studio, Omaggio a Chardin (lot 6) sold for 40,320 euros, in line with the critical revaluation of recent years. For the futurist front, the linen-tin plate Parole in libertà futuriste, tattili-termiche olfattive by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti and d’Albisola (lot 11) reached 46,620 euros, a significant figure for this type of experimental works.
What space did contemporaneity and sculpture have?
In the more strictly contemporary sector, the results exceeded estimates for Keith Haring, present in the catalog with two marker drawings (lots 43 and 44), each over the threshold of 16,000 euros. The response from collectors confirms the strength of the market for the American artist even in graphic format.
Sculpture played a leading role. Works by Giacomo Manzù (lot 24) reached 37,800 euros, while a sculpture by Giulio Vangi (lot 50) settled at 69,300 euros. Moreover, these results underline how three-dimensionality continues to find competitive space compared to painting, especially when supported by historicized names.
What is the overall balance of the autumn auction?
Considering the overall result of 1.7 million euros, the autumn session of Pandolfini stands above the performances of 2024, pending closure through online sale. That said, the combination of top international lots and Italian masters of the 20th century and contemporary seems to confirm a curatorial strategy aimed at engaging with an increasingly diverse collector audience.
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.
