Modern and contemporary art auction held in Milan on 28 April 2015, composed by a little less than 200 lots, was definitely satisfactory, making more than 1,250,000 euros and confirming a sharp increase of the market trend, which seems to come out of the hibernation of nearly seven years.
At the time, except for the those names whose prices went sky-high, the most important artists of Italian art of the years after World War II were especially penalized. It is all about Roberto Crippa, Gianni Dova, Emilio Scanavino, Piero Dorazio, Emilio Vedova, Giulio Turcato, Bruno Munari, Atanasio Soldati, Mauro Reggiani and others, since ever part of the most sensitive and refined historic Italian collections, whose sales showed a drop fall.
This auction offered in its catalogue the collection of a private Milanese collector, partly made by works of these masters, attentively chosen during years and often featured by a rich literature. The results of the sale were positive, quotations exceeded the maximum estimations or, in some cases, even doubled. For example, the historical works by Scanavino, Dova, Dorazio and Crippa showed a clear recovery. It seems that the 1950s Spirals by Crippa are the most sought-after; it is the same for the works by Scanavino, either for those from that period or for the 1970s Tramature, that mainly featured his work.
In the collection stood out also an important work by Hans Hartung from 1962, especially valued also for its size (60×250 centimetres), that made more than 170,000 euros; a bronze Grande tavola dei segni by Arnaldo Pomodoro, nearly 2,5 metres high, dated 1961–1962, sold for 155,000 euros.
Overall, the whole collection reached nearly 500,000 euros.
Arnaldo Pomodoro (1926), Grande Tavola dei Segni 1961-1962
On sale there was also a nice gouache by Alexander Calder from 1972 (catalogue cover) which, from an estimate of 40,000-50,000 euros, was sold to a foreign buyer for 93,000 euros. A terracotta Concetto spaziale by Lucio Fontana was sold for more than 110,000 euros. Fausto Melotti’s ceramics showed a sharp increase; they should further increase if the work of the sculptor, at present represented by Hauser & Wirth gallery in Zurich, with premises also in New York, is appreciated also overseas.
Especially positive the sales of the works on paper by Italian and foreign masters, such as a rare Automatic Drawing by Jean Arp that, starting from 7,000 euros, was sold for 22,000 euros.
