The still lifes of Morandi, Sotheby’s superstar: a 1955 painting sold for the record sum of 1.2 million euros

A “Still Life” by Giorgio Morandi from 1955 reached 1.2 million euros, while two other paintings by the artist, “Flowers” and “Landscape” were sold for 393,700 euros and 241,300 euros respectively: these are some of the results of the contemporary art auction organized by Sotheby’s in Milan, in the rooms of Palazzo Serbelloni. Presiding over the sale for the first time in Milan was Isabelle Paagman, Sotheby’s Senior International Contemporary Art Specialist, who sold 55 lots on the rostrum, which achieved a total of 10.7 million euros, a total largely in line with the pre-auction estimate . The last auction of 2023 brought this year’s overall sales to 38.8 million euros, the highest total in 15 years for Sotheby’s in Italy. In the eight auctions held in Milan this year, 81% of the lots offered found a new home, and more than half of them (58%) sold for prices above estimates. In its first appearance at auction, Lucio Fontana’s blank canvas «Concetto spatial» (1960) surpassed its high estimate and was sold to an online bidder for 1 million euros (estimate 600,000-800,000 euros). During the auction, another eight works by Fontana were sold, including: «Concetto spatial» from 1961 for 1 million, «Concetto spatial, Teatrino» from 1964-65 for 381,000, «Concetto spatial, Attese» from 1958 for 317,500 . Challenging the preconceptions of time and space, Mario Schifano’s monochrome yellow «Da Capo» reached 406,400 euros. Online and telephone bidders also competed for another work by Schifano, «Untitled», bringing the final price to double the maximum estimate, 82,550 euros. A vibrant yellow study by Joseph Albers, «Homage to the Square», reached 292,100 euros. Piero Manzoni’s white cloth, «Achrome», more than doubled its maximum estimate, sold for 291,100 euros after being disputed by participants in the room and bidders on the telephone.