The auction of Sotheby’s Milan brings back to the center the Italian masters of the 20th and 21st centuries. The catalog of May 27 combines historical works, auction debuts, and significant estimates.
Why does this Sotheby’s auction matter for Milan?
At the Sotheby’s headquarters in Milan, on May 27, the evening dedicated to modern and contemporary art brings together Lucio Fontana, Giorgio Morandi, Giorgio de Chirico, Mario Schifano, Carla Accardi, and Salvo. The scope is broad but remains consistent with the history of Italian art.
According to Marta Giani, director of the Modern and Contemporary Art department at Sotheby’s Italy, the selection aims to reflect the depth and variety of the Italian 20th century. Moreover, many works are coming to the market for the first time.
Giani also highlights Milan’s role as an international reference point. In this context, the city becomes the natural place for a project of this magnitude. For a market comparison, see also Sotheby’s and Artnews.
Which works lead the expected results?
Among the strongest lots stands out Concetto Spaziale, Attese by Lucio Fontana, from 1965-66. The three vertical cuts on a vibrant yellow background had never appeared on the market. The estimate is €700,000-1 million.
However, it is not the only Fontana for sale. Sotheby’s also includes one of the first cuts from 1960, Concetto spaziale, Attesa, set on blue, in dialogue with the Galleria Blu of Milan. The canvas measures 22.4 x 16.5 cm and features a single arched cut.
The curatorial reading insists on a key point: the spatialist gesture does not destroy but opens the work to infinity. The painting thus surpasses two-dimensionality and becomes real space, perception, and time.
Also present is Giorgio de Chirico with a Piazza d’Italia from the late seventies. The work summarizes enigma, classicism, travel, memory, and a sense of humanism. The estimate is €220,000-300,000.
Do Morandi and Tancredi mark the historical core of the selection?
Giorgio Morandi remains one of the most sought-after names in the Italian 20th-century market. The sale offers three works: Natura morta from 1924, rare and tense; Paesaggio from the summer of 1940, with houses nestled in the slope; and a second Natura morta from 1959, more contemplative and from a prestigious international collection. The estimate is €700,000-1 million.
Furthermore, the Informal area is represented by Tancredi with _Senza titolo_ from 1956, exhibited in the same year at the Galleria Selecta in Rome under the aegis of Carlo Cardazzo. The artist’s period text reveals his idea of painting as an absolute beginning.
The provenance from the famous American collection of Ann and Walter Gips confirms the early international circulation of his language. The estimate is €150,000-200,000.
What role do Carla Accardi and Salvo play in the catalog?
Great space for Carla Accardi, present with two works debuting at auction. The first is the monumental Grande dittico from 1986, with two adjacent panels. It measures 220 x 320 cm and has an estimate of €250,000-350,000.
That said, the painting shows how the sign multiplies until it erases any hierarchy between figure and background. The contrasts between black, ivory, blue, and orange build a luminous and architectural surface.
The second work is Arancio from 1979, a clear example of Accardi’s research on color and light. The estimate is €70,000-90,000. Here the color does not remain still: it vibrates, expands, and dialogues with space.
Finally, Salvo appears with two decisive works. 28 siciliani più un mistero from 2014 reaches one of the most accomplished outcomes of his production, with an estimate of €100,000-150,000.
The canvas merges the conceptual investigation of the beginnings with a painting of strong chromatic intensity. Words lose their verbal function and become images.
The selection closes with Una sera from 1988, with bright colors, stylized trees, and reflective water. The estimate is €60,000-80,000. Overall, the Milanese evening confirms the centrality of Italian authors in the international market.
Image: Carla Accardi, Arancio, €70,000-90,000. Courtesy of asta sotheby’s milano
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.
