REPORT FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 2024
We are pleased to conclude the first semester of 2024 with satisfaction. Eight events highlighted the variety of Gregory’s offerings, garnering great interest among national and international collectors and art enthusiasts:
– BOLOGNESE COLLECTIONS, January 24
– DESIGN AND DECORATIVE ARTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY, February 21
– SILVER AND JEWELRY, March 19
– MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, April 17
– MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, April 24
– WRIST AND POCKET WATCHES, May 14
– DIMORE BOLOGNESI, May 29
– MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, June 25
The auction BOLOGNESE COLLECTIONS, dedicated to 19th and 20th-century painting, featured a unique collection from our city. The great interest observed during the exhibition was confirmed by the auction, where the sales percentage exceeded 80% and bids rose by 142.5% compared to the starting prices. Among the top lots were some early 20th-century paintings by Alfredo Protti, a period considered excellent in the artist’s production, included in the catalog of the 1971 retrospective at the Museo Civico di Bologna. Notably, the intriguing oil on canvas “Parata” from 1913 was sold for €8,125.00.
We also presented two previously unseen works by Mario De Maria, a Symbolist painter: “Bosco” and “Autoritratto”. The artist was celebrated in our city this spring with the solo exhibition “Ombra Cara” at the Museo dell’Ottocento, where his self-portrait was also displayed.
Another significant piece was “Piccolo concerto” by Bruno Saetti, belonging to the painter’s early phase focused more on figurative work. The 1925 painting, sold for €3,500.00, is also featured in the artist’s monograph published in 1980 by Francesco Solmi.
Representing Bolognese paintings between the two centuries, “Il festone di vite” by Luigi Bertelli was sold for €5,500.00, after being exhibited in the artist’s solo show in 1946 and in the 1955 Exhibition of Emilian Painters of the 19th Century. The collection presented at auction also included “Nel salotto” by Alessandro Scorzoni, an oil on cardboard from 1924 sold for €2,750.00, and emblematic works from the Italian art scene at the time. Notable pieces include “Cavalleria” by Giovanni Fattori, sold for €5,250.00, and “Banchina di via Caracciolo”, a panel by Attilio Pratella, sold for €1,625.00.
International examples were also present, including the fascinating “Orientalist Scene” by Alphonse Mucha, which reached €5,250.00, and high-quality etchings such as “Cours de gymnastique” by Frantisek Kupka, sold for €3,000.00, and “Scarabeo rinoceronte” by Luigi Bartolini, sold for €2,362.50.
In the first half of the year, we dedicated several events to contemporary art, a sector that has seen increasing market interest: in the April 17 and June 25 events, over 80% of the lots were sold, with price increases exceeding 100% compared to starting prices. We achieved excellent results by handling works from important private collections.
Among the top sales were works by the Bolognese Master Giorgio Morandi, including the double-sided “Natura morta” from 1956. The drawing, published in Tavoni’s volume “Morandi. Disegni,” was sold for €22,500.00. We also saw good results with graphic works, all published in Vitali’s volume “L’opera grafica di Giorgio Morandi”: “Il giardino di via Fondazza” from the 1920s, “Veduta della Montagnola di Bologna” from the 1930s, and “Piccola natura con tre oggetti” from 1961, which was sold for €8,750.00.
The events highlighted local artists who have reached both Italian and international audiences with their mastery, such as Sergio Romiti, whose “Composizione” from 1967 was sold for €7,500.00, and Concetto Pozzati, whose majestic “Spettacolo ortogonale” from 1963 reached €15,000.00.
Lucio Fontana, another illustrious Italian painter of the 20th century, was also featured in the auction: “Concetto spaziale”, created between 1964 and 1965, was one of the highlights of the season. The mixed media on cardboard with the artist’s iconic cuts, coming from a major private collection, was exhibited at the Apollinaire Editions Gallery in Milan and the Nucleo Gallery in Bologna, and included in the catalog raisonné dedicated to the artist by L. M. Barbero.
Our careful selection of works allowed us to present a comprehensive overview of 20th-century Italian art at auction, ranging from paintings from the late 1920s, such as “Strada di Parigi” by Filippo De Pisis, from the Galleria del Milione in Milan, sold for €12,500.00, to more recent works like “Personaggi” by Mario Sironi from 1947. The journey through the 20th century continued with the 1960s and “Combustione”, an etching by Alberto Burri, sold for €2,250.00, and sculptures by Gio Pomodoro, including “Piccola folla B” from 1964, sold for €4,000.00.
Representing the 1970s were Valentino Vago‘s large “E. 293”, the curious “Catherine de Vivonne Marquise de la Brosse” by Enrico Baj, sold for €3,750.00, and an untitled work by Franco Angeli accompanied by authentication from the archive, sold for €3,000. “Fortificato” by Mario Schifano from 1988, sold for €14,400.00 and certified by the Schifano Archive, and “Reticolo” by Piero Dorazio, sold for €4,500.00, exemplified the 1980s.
We also offered works by international artists who marked the 20th century, such as Andy Warhol and Joan Mirò, including “El delirio de la moda – azul, rojo, verde” and “Plate 8 – Oda a Joan Mirò”, sold at auction for €4,000.00. A standout piece was “Study for ‘Crucifixion’” by Graham Vivian Sutherland, a large oil on canvas from 1946.
The auction also featured contemporary works, such as Pablo Bronstein‘s 2014 piece “Section demonstrating pre and post decorative schemes”, created in dialogue with the Tempietto del Santo Sepolcro by Leon Battista Alberti in the Rucellai Chapel, sold for €8,750.00.
Our careful selection of works was evident in the event dedicated to ancient art, DIMORE BOLOGNESI. The auction drew attention to two important 18th-century Bolognese terracotta reliefs depicting “Madonna” and “Christ”, and the painting “Cristo Benedicente” from the School of Guercino, sold for €11,875.00. Attracting interest from a clientele increasingly focused on high-quality works were the “Studio Accademico” from the circle of Gaetano Gandolfi, sold for €1,750.00, and a large painting depicting “Paesaggio rupestre” by a follower of Salvator Rosa, sold for €4,000.00.
Additionally, the auctions in the first half confirmed the trend of silver being one of the most sought-after items in the current market: notable items included the silver and vermeil candelabra and candlesticks by Crichton Bros from the 1920s, and the silver tea and coffee service by silversmith Giorgio Riguzzi, sold for €2,125.00.
Our events will resume on September 10 with a session entirely dedicated to Design. We remind you that our experts are always available for free and confidential appraisals of individual works and entire collections to include in our upcoming auctions.
Please remember that our experts are always available for free and confidential evaluations of artworks and entire collections for inclusion in our upcoming auctions. Contact us by phone at +39 051 2960945, via email, or through WhatsApp.