Art, from Chagall and De Chirico to millionaire cars: large rods between Milan, Vienna, Naples and New York

The echo of the great New York auctions reaches Europe, which collects its inheritance and tries to replicate its results. There are other actors at stake, different sums lively, but the same is the artistic passion linked to sales which is impossible to define only from a commercial point of view. They know something about it from Dorotheum, who in Vienna on May 20 beats the enchantment dedicated to modern art. Almost impossible to remain indifferent, for example, in the face of Marc Chagall’s night landscape. The Retour Au Village It presents all the most loved attributes of the painter: the couple of lovers, a bouquet of flowers and the moon floating in a mystical blue sky. A poker of sublime elements that brings the estimate for the painting to 200 thousand-300 thousand euros. Equally intense the Naked female Egon Schiele signed (estimates 400-600 thousand euros). A Gouache With watercolor and pencil from 1912 which probably depicts the artist’s long -standing companion, Wally Neuzil. Tightened, screwed on itself the female figure appears to be impenetrable and distant. A feeling similar to Piazza d’Italia by Giorgio De Chirico (estimate 250 thousand-350 thousand euros), impalpable but bewitching like all mysteries. Estimates in hand, also to be reported the transition to auction of Surrounded Islands of Christo (280-360 thousand euros) and an abstract painting by Piero Dorazio (estimates 240-320 thousand euros).

Enchantments in Italy between cars and design

Moving towards Italy, Milan and Genoa take the scene, with two sales planned on the same day, Thursday 22 May, but with a completely different content. The first, in the Lombard capital, is the one signed RM Sotheby’s and dedicated to vintage cars. Very high evaluation, 3.5-4.5 million euros for an Alfa Romeo 8c 2300 long Cabriolet by Pininfarina. Produced in 1932 in only 188 specimens, the vehicle was purchased by Prince Filiberto di Savoia, and then passed after the pilot Vittorio Belmondo. The Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone of 1971 is equally iconic, among the best preserved versions throughout the world collecting panorama. Also for this reason its estimate exceeds 3.2 million euros. Fresh from restoration (2021) the 1989 Ferrari F40, which at the time of cataloging had 17 thousand km traveled. Now the only figure that matters is its estimate: 2.4-2.8 thousand euros. Under the lantern, on the other hand, the design of changes to catalyze the attention of the buyer. Among the most important lots, Mario Bellini’s charming sofa (estimates 6-8 thousand euros) produced by B&B in 1971 stands out, an emblematic example of modularity and comfort. As well as the six P35 model armchairs of Osvaldo Borsani (estimates 6-8 thousand euros), characterized by the refined synthesis between formal elegance and functionality. In the catalog also a rare library of Gio Ponti (estimates 5-8 thousand euros) which testifies to the balance between architecture and design of the Milanese author.

From Naples to the Big Apple

We now peek at the following week, when in Naples Blindarte, on May 29, it will set up a double return of auctions. The first dedicated to Ancient and 19th century art objects and paintings. To guide it a Louis XIV artefact, a precious estimated end of the end of 50-60 thousand euros. In the pictorial field, eyes focused on a pair of seventeenth-century death of Giuseppe Recco, proposed together with 35-45 thousand euros. Immediately after space for the catalog of Modern and contemporary artin which a Naked of 1930 signed Giorgio De Chirico (estimates 280 thousand-350 thousand euros). The forms of the woman are perfectly carved, integrated into a landscape in which different classic elements are found with mythological references. We close our tour still in the Big Apple for an exceptional auction, the one that Sotheby’s dedicates to the Thomas A. Saunders III collectionwell -known banker of Wall Street who passed away in 2022. We are talking about one of the most important collections of Old Master to have appeared on the market. If only for the double Venetian view signed by Francesco Guardi (estimate 10-15 million dollars), and the dead nature of the Baroque painter Jan Davidsz. de Heem (estimate 8-12 million dollars), one of the absolute masters of the genre. A riot of flowers for the crucial weeks of the art market.