19th and 20th Century paintings

The 19th–20th Century Paintings department is the flagship division of the Auction House.

Gregory’s experts have always approached 19th- and 20th-century painting with passion, dedicating themselves to the appreciation and promotion of nationally and internationally recognized artists and works, as well as unique and previously unknown pieces, through thorough research and careful selection. It is a constantly expanding department that responds with great expertise to the ever-growing and lively interest of collectors.
Gregory’s can boast one of the best Italian auction results for Fausto Zonaro (1854 – 1929), with the previously unpublished masterpiece “Viaggiando sul Bosforo”, an important oil on canvas sold at auction for €167,280 and later exhibited at the show FAUSTO ZONARO – Life and Light Between Ottoman Splendor and the Italian Belle Époque, held in Florence in April 2015.

Among the Orientalist works, we recall the watercolor on paper “Constantinople’s Harbour from Koum Kapou” by Conte Amadeo Preziosi (1816 – 1882), sold for €31,980, and the ink on paper “Scena orientalista” by Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, sold for €5,250.
Also worthy of mention among the international artists handled by Gregory’s is the painting The Milkmaid, attributed to Edwin Landseer, sold for €3,720, and the etching by Frantisek Kupka, “Cours de gymnastique” sold for €3,000.

The works included in Gregory’s catalogues are concentrated mainly in the period from the early 19th century to the early 20th century, with many positioned across the turn of the century. Particularly sought-after are Romantic works and pieces by artists approaching Impressionism and Divisionism.
The department features Italian artists of the 19th and 20th centuries such as Giovanni Boldini, Giacomo Favretto, Carlo Grubax, Giuseppe Coen, Angelo Inganni, Giovan Battista Filosa, Attilio Pratella and many others who enjoy established national recognition and who, through their works, have crossed Italian borders to gain prominence in the European market. This is the case of artists like Gaetano Bellei and Eugenio Zampighi, whose genre scenes are renowned both nationally and internationally. Noteworthy is the highly successful sale of Bellei’s Girotondo, auctioned at Gregory’s for €34,720, as well as two drawings by Giovanni Boldini from 1915—The Lady with the Fan and Seated Lady Sewing on a Bench—sold respectively for €6,200 and €8,060. Also memorable are Lady Embroidering in Parc Monceau by Neapolitan painter Raffaele Ragione, sold for €2,232, and the unmistakable Parisian Boulevard by Pietro Scoppetta, sold for €3,720. Among the most significant results, we also recall an unusual view of Venice titled “La Neve sul Canal Grande” by Giuseppe Cannella, sold for over 27.000 €.

From the same period, several of the most renowned Bolognese painters stand out, and over time we have handled splendid examples of their work: notably the landscapes by Luigi Bertelli, with special mention of the large oval Seascape with Sails, painted in the early 1890s and sold in 2021 for €11,780. Like his father, Flavio Bertelli, one of Bologna’s most celebrated painters, produced highly impactful works over the years. Particularly noteworthy is “Gli innamorati”, also published in the volume Flavio Bertelli (1865–1941). On the Fiftieth Anniversary of His Death – Bottegantica, and sold at auction for €6,820. Another Bolognese artist who achieved international recognition is Alessandro Scorzoni, remembered for the 1898 oil on canvas “La mia famiglia”: a work of exquisite quality whose subject captivates with its sweetness, naturalness, and spontaneity, set against the typical rooftops of Bologna. The painting sold at auction for €11,160. We also recall the ”Autoritratto” by bolognese artist Mario De Maria known as Marius Pictor, and sold for € 9.920,00.

There is also growing interest among interior designers and architects who appreciate enriching contemporary spaces with valuable 19th- and 20th-century paintings, full of the charm of a recent past.

Gregory’s team of experts offers top-level consultancy for the purchase or sale of 19th- and 20th-century paintings, helping to build and enhance the finest collections. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information, and you may browse our past auctions to view previous sold lots.

Evaluation and sale of 19th and 20th Century Paintings at auction through Private Treaty

• Would you like to enhance the value of your 19th- or 20th-century paintings? Contact us for free appraisal
• Our experts are available for free and confidential valuations of individual works or entire collections.
• You may also send images and details of your works via WeTransfer o WhatsApp
• Would you like to take part to prossime aste?
• Are you interested in purchasing through private negotiation? Contact us

Auction Catalogues

Last Top Lots