Until September 24, 2025, it is possible to visit the exhibition Art and Collecting in Rome. It is hosted by the historic Palazzo Barberini on Via delle Quattro Fontane, home of the National Galleries of Ancient Art. We interviewed some colleagues to learn about their experience and opinion of the fair. The works on display, for sale, cover a range from 5,000 to about 500,000. Many professionals coordinate the scientific committee, for painting Maria Cristina Terzaghi, for sculpture Riccardo Bacarelli and Marco Longarie, for furniture and decorative arts David Sestieri.
The opinion of the experts, word to Nicolò Alessandrini
The colleague antiquarian and collector Nicolò Alessandrini shared his opinion with us.
“The fair Art and Collecting finally presents itself as a valid alternative to the historic biennial of Palazzo Corsini in Florence. Within the baroque walls of the Roman “palace,” the offering is wide and varied, both in terms of eras and types of works. From the extraordinary Arsenale di Civitavecchia by Viviano Codazzi, at the stand of Alessandra Di Castro, to the vibrant Gioia di vivere by Sartorio from 1927.
The masterpieces are numerous and difficult to summarize: the famous Saltimbanco dopo lo spettacolo by Antonio Mancini, exhibited by Lullo & Pampoulides; the rare Personificazione della follia by Orfeo Boselli from Brun Fine Art; up to the Ritratto anatomico scomposto by Enrico Prampolini at the stand of Bottegantica.
Even though it is organized by the Associazione Antiquari d’Italia, the fair is now mainly designed for collecting: the atmosphere of antiquarianism survives in a few stands, confirming how taste has shifted towards an appreciation of the object itself, and how this occurs independently of its production era.
The opinion of the experts, word to Valerio Martini, art advisor
We reached Valerio Martini, an art advisor who has lived in London. Currently based in Rome, he attends the major fairs, from antiques to contemporary art.
Valerio reports a De Laszlo from Antonacci Lapiccirella “truly incredible, very refined and elegant as only De Laszlo can do”.
A sensational Francesco Hayez, “an excellent little Jacopo Bassano, in my opinion the hidden gem of the fair” (GFA gallery).
Then again the work of Felice Giani (1758-1823) Temptation of Saint Anthony the Abbot from around 1790: “this from Maurizio Nobili Fine Art is undoubtedly in the top 3 pieces of the fair. A piece that, although Neapolitan, has a taste of the Netherlands and anticipates James Ensor by a few centuries”.
The Portrait of the sculptor Ripamonti (1916) watercolor, pencil, and pastel on paper does not go unnoticed: “late portrait of Boccioni, one of the last where he seems to abandon futurism and embrace a late 19th-century Van Gogh/Cezannism. From Bottegantica”.
They leave you breathless a Medardo Rosso and an anonymous sculptor from Treviso. They are presented by Botticelli Fine Art, “one of the best stands of the fair in terms of visual impact”.
We conclude with “a masterpiece by Odoardo Borrani from 800-900 Artstudio, already sold at the preview”.
Art and Collecting in Rome
Palazzo Barberini
Via delle Quattro Fontane, 13 – Rome
here is the list of exhibitors
Open to the public
from September 20 to 22, 2025, continuous hours from 11 AM to 8:30 PM
Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the exhibition will close at 6 PM
September 18 and 19, entry by invitation only
She has collaborated for many years with art magazines such as Artribune, XIBT Contemporary, ArtApp, Insideart and Espoarte, preferring contemporary art in its many facets and media drifts.
