Home > Press Release > 2023 > EMEA > 20TH / 21ST CENTURY: MILAN ONLINE S...
16 November 2023

Alexandra Kindermann

+41 44 268 10 19

akindermann@christies.com

 

Sara Macdonald

+44 (0)20 7752 3136

saramacdonald@christies.com

See all contacts

20TH / 21ST CENTURY: MILAN ONLINE SALE
23 NOVEMBER TO 5 DECEMBER 2023

70% OF WORKS OFFERED AT AUCTION FOR THE FIRST TIME TWO ICONIC ITALIAN COLLECTIONS PRESENTED: ART CRITIC ALBERTO BOATTO & ACTOR ROBERTO BISACCO
Post-War & Contemporary Art
Milan EMEA 16 November 2023
20<sup>TH</sup> / 21<sup>ST</sup> CENTURY: MILAN ONLINE SALE <br />23 NOVEMBER TO 5 DECEMBER 2023
Alighiero Boetti, Vedere I laterali (1981, estimate €250,000-350,000)

Milan – Christie’s 20th / 21st Century: Milan Online Sale, taking place from 23 November to 5 December, will present around 100 works by Italian and international artists including Giovanni Anselmo, Alighiero Boetti, Giorgio de Chirico, Jannis Kounellis, Fausto Pirandello, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Salvo and Mario Schifano.

Prices range from €100 to €350,000, offering collectors at every stage an opportunity to acquire pieces by pioneering artists across the 20th and 21st century, with 70% of works coming to auction for the first time.

As the leading house for prestigious private collections, Christie’s will showcase two exceptional collections from actor Roberto Bisacco and Roman art critic Alberto Boatto. Additional works from Centuries of Beauty - A Refined Private Collection include sculptures by Marino Marini and Giacomo Manzù.

Highlights from 20th / 21st Century: Milan Online Sale will be on view in Naples on 16 November, with the full selection of works on display in Milan at Palazzo Clerici from 23 to 26 November.

Among the works offered at auction for the first time, Christie’s is honoured to present a vibrant red biro by Alighiero Boetti titled Vedere I laterali (1981, estimate €250,000-350,000), which was gifted by the artist to the family who hosted and helped him during his recovery from a car accident in Cinque Terre in 1982. Alongside this, a monumental work by Jannis Kounellis, Senza titolo, which includes all of the most important elements the artist loved to work with, such as lead, burlap and fire (estimate €200,000-300,000, illustrated far below) will lead the Arte Povera section of the sale.

Alighiero Boetti’s Languidi sguardi assassini (1990, estimate: €100,000-150,000, illustrated above, right) is the first red monochrome featuring this phrase to appear on the public market. Fausto Pirandello’s Giochi in terrazza (estimate: €120,000-180,000, illustrated above, left), a life-sized panel painting depicting the artist’s sister Lietta with her two daughters, is the top lot of the Modern Masters section. This rare and lyrical painting from 1937 was exhibited during III Quadriennale d’Arte in Rome in 1939, and comes to auction for the first time.

Alberto Boatto was a great scholar of the avant-garde art movements of the early 20th century. The works from this collection include gifts from Concetto Pozzati and Giosetta Fioroni, evidence that these friendships allowed Boatto preferential access to series’ that were otherwise not available for sale. From this group, an iconic portrait by Giosetta Fioroni, Senza titolo (1966, estimate: €30,000-40,000), which was exhibited in New York at The Drawing Center in 2013.

Roberto Bisacco was a close friend of Alighiero Boetti who put together a collection of the artist’s works that stand as testament to an artistic and cultural exchange between the two figures. This collection is highlighted by Faccine colorate (1979, estimate: €26,000-36,000).

Following the record set for the artist at Christie’s London in October, the Milan sale features two paintings from Salvo’s most iconic series depicting snowfalls and landscapes: Senza titolo (1996, estimate: €55,000-75,000) and La valle (2006, estimate: €35,000-50,000), both characterised by a psychedelic and dreamy palette.

Visuals

All Images

About Christie’s

Founded in 1766, Christie’s is a world-leading art and luxury business with a physical presence in 46 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, and flagship   international sales hubs  in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva. Renowned and trusted for our expert live and online-only auctions, as well as bespoke Private Sales, Christie’s unparalleled network of specialists offers our clients a full portfolio of  global services, including art appraisal, art financing, international real estate and education. Christie’s  auctions span more than  80 art and luxury categories, at price points ranging from $500 to over $100 million. Christie’s has sold 7 of the 10 most important single-owner collections in history, achieved the world record price for an artwork at auction, launched the first  fully on-chain auction platform dedicated to exceptional NFT art and manages an investment fund to support innovative startups in the art market. Christie’s is also committed to advancing  responsible culture  throughout its business and communities worldwide. To learn more, browse, bid, discover, and join us for the best of art and luxury at christies.com or by downloading Christie’s apps.


* Please note when quoting estimates above that other fees will apply in addition to the hammer price - see Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of the sale catalogue. *Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium.

Related News

CHRISTIE’S NEW YORK OUTSIDER ART SALE TOTALS $2,536,002 

CHRISTIE’S 20/21 LONDON MARCH EVENING SALES TO PRESENT WORKS WITH A COMBINED LOW ESTIMATE OF £169,225,000

BRICE MARDEN’S EVENT WILL LEAD CHRISTIE’S NEW YORK 21ST CENTURY EVENING SALE