Photography Auction: Focus on the Iconic Legacy of Inge Schönthal Feltrinelli

Cambi Auction House presents the Photography auction on January 27, 2026, a carefully selected collection of 100 lots spanning the 20th century and the contemporary era, bringing together great international masters, leading figures in Italian photography, and iconic works of great value.

The centerpiece of the auction is the important collection of vintage photographs by Inge Schönthal Feltrinelli, one of the key figures in Italian and international culture in the second half of the 20th century. Starting in the 1950s, while the Feltrinelli publishing house was taking shape, Inge created images that were destined to enter the collective imagination, the result of authentic, often improvised encounters with some of the most influential personalities of her time.

Legendary photographs are up for auction, such as Anna Magnani (lot 40), intense and sensual in the famous 1952 portrait; Pablo Picasso in his studio in Cannes (lot 41) and in his home “La California” (lot 42); Giangiacomo Feltrinelli with Fidel Castro (lot 43), an emblematic image of an era in which politics, culture, and utopia intertwined; and the famous Ernest Hemingway (lot 44) and the extremely rare test shot with Hemingway and Inge Feltrinelli (lot 45), direct evidence of a relationship that was human even before it was professional.

All photographs come directly from Inge Feltrinelli’s personal collection and are original vintage prints, accompanied by certification from the Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Foundation.

The proceeds from the sale of this collection will go towards funding the Inge Feltrinelli Prize. Telling the world, defending rights, an international award dedicated to women and new generations committed to telling stories of denied rights, discrimination, and resistance.

Alongside this extraordinary collection, the auction offers an important overview of 20th-century Italian photography, ranging from landscapes to reportage. The works of Gianni Berengo Gardin, master of civil observation and humanist photography, stand out, with works spanning decades of research, from the famous Gran Bretagna, 1977 (lot 34) to images of everyday life and Italian living (lots 32, 36, 37).

Also of great importance is the section dedicated to Mario Giacomelli, featuring some of his most emblematic series: L’Infinito (lot 63), Io non ho mani che mi accarezzino il volto from the Pretini series (lot 65) and Natura morta con pane (lot 66), images that combine lyricism, abstraction, and existential depth.

Among the top international lots is a rare vintage print by Robert Capa, Troina, August 3-4, 1943 (lot 55), a powerful document of the Sicilian campaign, with a Magnum stamp on the back. Also of great interest is a silver gelatin print by Aleksandr Mikhailovich Rodchenko (lot 96), testimony to the radical vision of the Russian avant-garde.

The auction closes with an important focus on contemporary art, featuring four works by Albert Watson, one of the most influential photographers on the international scene. The catalog includes monumental and very recent works such as Giraffe with Showgirls, Imperial Royal Circus, near Rome, 2024 (lot 75) and Garden of St. Alexius, Rome, 2024 (lot 76), both linked to the A Rome Codex project, as well as the layered composite photography Myla Dalbesio (lot 77) and Cara Keegan (lot 78), from the Dreamscape series, which confirm the author’s visionary and narrative power.

Discover all the lots!