April 2013 - Page 7 of 17 - Auction Central News

E-Art Auctions presents 20th C. Italian design in April 20 sale

Dining table Series TRI, glass with chrome on wood and chromed metal base. Pictured in the book 'Gabetta e Isola, Allemandi.' Est. € 1,500-2,000. E-Art Auctions image.

ASTI, Italy – On April 20, E-Art Auctions in Asti, Italy, will offer bidders an interesting collection of 20th-century design, predominantly of Italian origin. Categories include ceramics, furniture, chandeliers, lamps and glass works, and many distinguished designers are represented, includine Ponti and Mangiarotti. Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Asti is a destination for those who seek to learn and share knowledge about art, design and collecting. E-Art is well known by aficionados as a prime source of quality contemporary art, modernist design and 20th-century art objects.

Auction highlights include:

Distex armchair, wood with original fabric. Gio Ponti, Cassina, 1953, with metal label and patent number. Est. € 13,000-14,000.

Dining table Series TRI, glass with chrome on wood and chromed metal base. Pictured in the book ‘Gabetta e Isola, Allemandi.’ Est. € 1,500-2,000.

Pair of adjustable wall lamps LP11. Brass structure, satined glass globes. By Luigi Caccia Dominioni. Azucena, 1953. Est. € 2,500-3,000.

Four chairs by Tobia Scarpa, Gavina, 1957. Est. € 1,000-1,200.

Painted-metal floor lamp on marble base. By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce, 1953. Est. € 2,500-3,000.

E-Art offers personal property valuations and appraisals, in addition to hosting its popular auctions. For information on any of its services, or to contact the auction house about any item in the April 20 auction, call 011 39 328 9667353 or email e.art.auctions@gmail.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

# # #

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Distex armchair, wood with original fabric. Gio Ponti, Cassina, 1953, with metal label and patent number. Est. € 13,000-14,000. E-Art Auctions image.

Pair of adjustable wall lamps LP11. Brass structure, satined glass globes. By Luigi Caccia Dominioni. Azucena, 1953. Est. € 2,500-3,000. E-Art Auctions image.

Four chairs by Tobia Scarpa, Gavina, 1957. Est. € 1,000-1,200. E-Art Auctions image.

Globe from painted-metal floor lamp on marble base. By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce, 1953. Est. € 2,500-3,000. E-Art Auctions image.

Leyendecker’s ‘Honeymoon’ rings up $194,500 for Heritage

Joseph Christian Leyendecker (American, 1874-1951), ‘Honeymoon,’ ‘The Saturday Evening Post’ cover, July 17, 1926, oil on canvas. Heritage Auctions image.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – J.C. Leyendecker’s spectacular Honeymoon, The Saturday Evening Post cover, July 17, 1926, realized $194,500 to lead Heritage Auctions’ $2.8 million Illustration Art Signature® Auction on April 11-12, a sale that saw tremendous prices realized across the board, especially where pinup and golden age classic artworks were concerned. The piece came to auction from a consignor in New England whose mother was gifted the painting by the artist himself upon her own wedding, where Leyendecker also walked her down the aisle.

LiveAuctioneers.com provided Internet live bidding.

“Collectors would be hard pressed to find a Leyendecker that showcases the artist’s skill in a ways as spectacular as this painting,” said Ed Jaster, senior vice president of Heritage Auctions. “This was the third-highest price ever for the artist, and with good reason – it’s a masterpiece.”

The auction also saw spirited bidding for Patrick Nagel’s oversize acrylic, Her Seductive Look, which soared to $158,500 – more than tripling the world record for the iconic 1980s artist.

“This is a staggering price realized for Nagel,” said Todd Hignite, vice president of Heritage Auctions. “Heritage set a record for Nagel last fall, at $56,250, and we felt that was a great result. Clearly, with the results from this auction, we’re seeing that Nagel’s profile continues to rise.”

With a 95 percent sell-through rate, numerous world record prices in the auction were witnessed from some of the great names of the form, such as Earle Bergey’s classic The Cybernetic Brains, Startling Stories pulp cover, September 1950, the auction catalog’s cover piece, which realized $89,500, along with Thorton Utz’s whimsical, complex Love’s Lost Child at Information Booth, The Saturday Evening Post Christmas cover, Dec. 20, 1958, which drew applause in the room as it finished at $104,500. Rolf Armstrong’s dazzling Twinkle Toes proved quite popular at $68,500, while Edward Runci’s aquatic pinup, Scenic Shorelines, finished the day at $62,500, all world records for the artists. Frank McCarthy’s original movie poster artwork for 1967’s The Dirty Dozen sold for $27,500, a world record for the artist’s movie poster art.

“The room was buzzing and we are seeing many new collectors entering the field right now,” said Hignite. “This auction proved that great examples across all genres and value ranges of Illustration are poised to set records in our auctions.”

Further highlights include, but are not limited to:

Gil Elvgren, A Near Miss (Right On Target), Brown & Bigelow calendar pinup, 1964: Realized $104,500.

Gil Elvgren, Let’s Go Around Together, Brown & Bigelow calendar pinup, 1948: Realized $101,500.

John Philip Falter, Antique Store Accident, The Saturday Evening Post cover, June 20, 1959: Realized $74,500.

View the fully illustrated catalog for Heritage Auctions’ Illustration Art Signature® Auction on April 11-12, complete with prices realized, at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Patrick Nagel (American, 1945-1984), ‘Her Seductive Look,’ acrylic on canvas, 70 x 32 inches, signed lower right. Heritage Auctions image.

Earle Bergey (American, 1901-1952), ‘The Cybernetic Brains,’ ‘Startling Stories’ pulp cover, September 1950, oil on canvas, 27 x 18 inches, signed center left. Heritage Auctions image.

Thorton Utz (American, 1914-1999), ‘Love's Lost Child at Information Booth,’ The Saturday Evening Post’ Christmas cover, Dec. 20, 1958, oil on board, 23.75 x 22 inches, signed lower left. Heritage Auctions image. — Thorton Utz (American, 1914-1999), ‘Love’s Lost Child at Information Booth,’ The Saturday Evening Post’ Christmas cover, Dec. 20, 1958, oil on board, 23.75 x 22 inches, signed lower left. Heritage Auctions image.

Rolf Armstrong (American, 1889-1960), ‘Twinkle Toes,’ 1947, pastel on Masonite, 40 x 29 inches, signed lower center. Heritage Auctions image.

Edward Runci (American, 1921-1986), ‘Scenic Shorelines,’ 1950, oil on canvas, 26 x 20 inches, signed lower right. Heritage Auctions image.

Marge Schott necklace hits home run for Cowan’s at $192,000

The top lot in Cowan’s Fine Jewelry and Timepieces Auction was this 28-carat platinum and diamond necklace made for Marge Schott of the Cincinnati Reds. It sold for $192,000. Cowan’s Auctions Inc. image.

CINCINNATI – Cowan’s Auctions Inc.’s Fine Jewelry and Timepieces: Live Salesroom Auction on April 14 realized $585,00. With strong bidding from the Internet and phone, a crowded salesroom of over 50 participants on the floor battled against competitive bids for many of the lots in the sale. LiveAuctioneers.com provided Internet live bidding.

Fine jewelry and timepieces by renowned designers and makers such as Tiffany & Co., Patek Philippe and Cartier were offered in the auction, and a selection of five pieces owned by the late Marge Schott, longtime owner of the Cincinnati Reds, hammered down for just over $315,000.

The sale’s top selling lot was a 28-carat platinum and diamond necklace made for Schott. Two bidders battled back and forth on the phone and Internet for the piece, and eventually the necklace sold to a phone bidder for $192,000, more than doubling its estimate of $65,000-$85,000.

Other fine jewelry from Schott achieved great results in the auction. Competing bids between the floor and Internet drove Schott’s platinum and diamond 18-carat brooch up to $55,350, which eventually sold to an Internet bidder. A platinum Hamilton wristwatch with eight carats of diamonds sold to a participant on the floor for $57,000, and a platinum brooch with pear-shape, baguette and round diamonds realized $10,455.

A number of rings and earrings performed well in the auction. A platinum fancy intense yellow three-stone ring sold to an Internet bidder for $9,840. Competing bids in the audience and on the phone drove the selling price of an 18K white gold tanzanite and diamond ring to $7,800, eventually selling to the floor bidder. A pair of platinum fancy yellow diamond earrings also sold to the floor for $9,600.

Exceptional timepieces were also offered in the sale. Two bidders on the phone and Internet battled for a ladies’ platinum and diamond Omega wristwatch, which sold to the Internet participant for $18,450. A Vacheron & Constantin 18K gold pocket watch sold for $8,600, and an E. Mathey 14K yellow gold hunter case repeater pocket watch realized $4,600.

Cowan’s next Fine Jewelry and Timepieces: Live Salesroom Auction will take place Dec. 8 at noon EST. For more information about the auction or to consign for future auctions, call Brad Wanstrath at 513-871-1670.

View the fully illustrated catalog for Cowan’s Auctions Inc. jewelry and timepieces auction April 14, complete with prices realized, at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

The Vacheron & Constantin 18K gold pocket watch sold within estimate for $8,600. Cowan’s Auctions Inc. image.

Elvis autograph, firearms report to Ace Auctions sale Apr. 21

Stunning French security cabinet, 9 feet tall, circa 1900. Ace Auctions Ltd. image.

PLYMOUTH, England – Ace Auctions Ltd. will present a Specialist Sale on Sunday, April 21, beginning at 10 a.m. local time (2 a.m. Pacific). LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Boasting 256 lots, the auction’s star attraction is a genuine Elvis Presley autograph, beautifully preserved in a mounted montage with supporting newspaper and photographic evidence of the day. Elvis signed the autograph from inside the front gates of Graceland in March 1960, after he had returned from two years in the U.S. Army. This rare piece of Elvis memorabilia carries a £2,500-£3,500 estimate.

The auction also has a fine collection of Victorian firearms and 18th century militaria. A superb French security cabinet, circa 1900, is included in the furniture section. Fine art is represented by a lovely, amusing limited-edition Beryl Cook print titled Dancing on the QE2.

A fine collection of Admiral Lord Nelson/HMS Victory collectable items is also going under the hammer, including two Battle of the Nile medals, a splendid bronze bust of Nelson and much more.

See the Ace Auction catalog for full details. View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Contact John Stewart at Ace Auctions Ltd for more information, phone: 01752 342020 or email: aceauctions@live.co.uk.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

British Snider-Enfield .577-caliber rifle, circa 1860s. Ace Auctions Ltd. image.

Limited-edition Beryl Cook print, no. 267 of 300, ‘Dancing on the QE2.’ Ace Auctions Ltd. image.

Unique Elvis Presley montage containing authentic Elvis autograph, March 1960. Ace Auctions Ltd. image.

Beautifully mounted and framed Elvis Presley 1975 concert scarf bearing a facsimile signature of Elvis Presley. Ace Auctions Ltd. image.

Bronze bust of Admiral Nelson, inscribed Nelson on front and Fredericks on reverse. Ace Auctions Ltd. image.

Art Nouveau trove to be dispersed at Swiss auction

The Neumanns once collected posters by Art Nouveau icon Alphonse Mucha. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

GENEVA (AFP) – A decade after thieves stole a haul of Art Nouveau glassworks in a lightning raid on an exhibition, legitimate collectors will have a chance to bid for the remaining trove of the Swiss-based Neumann family.

Due to go under the hammer on April 27 in the medieval castle of Gingins, a hillside village overlooking Lake Geneva, the 500 lots include other glassworks, furniture and paintings.

According to the auctioneers handling next week’s sale, the estimated value is between a million and 1.5 million Swiss francs (800,000-1.25 million euros, $1.1-1.6 million).

The sale was organized by the heirs of Czech-born couple Lotar Neumann, who died in 1992, and his wife Vera, who died earlier this year. The castle was their home. Born in 1918, Lotar was the son of a wealthy Jewish industrialist in Prague. He escaped Nazi Germany’s clutches during World War II thanks to a false identity, and in 1948 married Vera, who was eight years his junior.

The same year, a communist regime took over what was then Czechoslovakia, and the Neumanns emigrated to Venezuela.

Starting from scratch, they founded a paint and dye factory, which was to make their fortune.

Nostalgic for their European past, they had begun collecting posters of the works of Czech Art Nouveau icon Alphonse Mucha, and eventually their wealth enabled them gradually to buy original pieces.

In 1960, the Neumanns decided to move back to Europe, setting up home in Switzerland and buying the Gingins castle two years later.

They continued to collect art over the ensuing decades.

Two years after Lotar’s death, Vera set up the Neumann Foundation which was dedicated to putting their prize works in display in regular exhibitions in the castle.

It was as such an event in October 2004 that the thieves struck, making off with 15 works by French master glassmaker Emile Galle worth an estimated four million Swiss francs at the time.

Among them were five of Galle’s dragonfly-motif cups, made in 1904 and seen as a touchstone of the Art Nouveau movement.

The gang members—who like the stolen artworks have never been tracked down—took just five minutes to raid the exhibition.

The shocked Neumann Foundation decided to close its doors to the public after the robbery.

In addition to the art up for auction, the castle is also on sale, with unconfirmed information suggesting it has been valued at 35 million Swiss francs.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Uniqlo clothier to sponsor MoMA events amid US push

A Uniqlo store in Ginza, Tokyo. Image by SK2. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

TOKYO (AFP) – Japan’s cheap chic clothing chain Uniqlo said Thursday it has signed a multiyear sponsorship deal with the Museum of Modern Art in New York amid an aggressive international expansion push.

Under the agreement the firm will sponsor a free admission program from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m every Friday from May 3.

The deal comes as the brand, operated by Fast Retailing, is aiming for a greater share of foreign markets after having enjoyed spectacular success at home.

Uniqlo already has a flagship store on the same New York street as MoMA, as well as operations in 13 nations and territories outside Japan, mostly in Asia.

“It is an honor for us to be neighbors with MoMA on 53rd Street, such a prestigious and central location,” Tadashi Yanai, chairman and president of Fast Retailing, said in a statement.

“I hope that together we can grow and deepen our relationships with the general public,” he said.

Uniqlo most recently enjoyed spectacular marketing success with Australian golfer Adam Scott, for whom Uniqlo became a major sponsor this month.

The golfer was wearing the brand’s logo when he clinched a spectacular triumph in the Masters last weekend.

Uniqlo had asked the golfer to wear a white polo shirt on the final day of the tournament.

Including the 1,990 yen ($20) shirt, Scott wore clothing with prices totaling 7,960 yen ($81) on that day, all from Uniqlo.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Adam Scott, winner of the 2013 Masters Golf Tournament, wearing a Uniqlo shirt. Image courtesy Uniqlo.

Rhino horns stolen from National Museum of Ireland

The National Museum of Ireland, where the rhino horns were stolen Wednesday. Image by Mike Peel. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.

DUBLIN (AFP) – Masked men stole eight rhino horns from the National Museum of Ireland with a street value of about 500,000 euros ($650,000), officials said Thursday.

The gang of three broke into the museum archives building in Dublin late on Wednesday, tied up a security guard and loaded four rhino heads—each with two horns—onto a van, police said.

The guard, who was unhurt, eventually freed himself and raised the alarm, but not before the thieves had made off with their haul.

Rhino horns have become increasingly valuable as a component of traditional medicines in Asia, where they are falsely believed to have powerful healing properties.

Poachers feeding the lucrative market have decimated rhino populations across Africa—in South Africa, more than 200 of the animals have been killed so far this year.

A spokeswoman for the Irish museum said fears about a possible theft had prompted curators to move the horns from public display last year into storage.

“Their price is based on weight and the total amount stolen could have a street value in the region of 500,000 euros,” she said.

Police said they had begun an investigation into the theft, adding: “The crime scene is sealed off for forensic technical examination.”

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

US returns stolen Virgin Mary tapestry to Spain

This 16th century tapestry was stolen in December 1979 from a cathedral in the Aragon region in northeastern Spain. It recently was discovered in Houston. Image courtesy ICE.gov.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – A 16th century religious tapestry stolen from a Spanish cathedral in 1979 and sold at auction three years ago for $369,000 was returned to Spain on Wednesday by the U.S. customs service.

In a statement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said special agents from its Homeland Security Investigations unit seized the artifact last November from the unidentified Texas business that had bought it.

The wool and silk tapestry, depicting the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, had been stolen in December 1979 from the Cathedral of Saint Vincent, Martyr of Roda de Isabena in the Aragon region of northeastern Spain.

After it turned up in a Brussels art fair catalog in 2010, Belgian, Spanish and U.S. investigators established it had been acquired in 2008 by a gallery owner in Belgium along with two partners from Milan and Paris.

“Today’s repatriation is an example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement partners from around the world work together in the effort to ensure that stolen and looted priceless cultural objects like this are returned to their rightful owner,” said ICE director John Morton.

Madrid’s ambassador to Washington Ramon Gil-Casares accepted the tapestry on behalf of his nation at a ceremony at his residence.

Since 2007 more than 6,600 artifacts—including paintings from Europe, manuscripts from Peru and cultural artifacts from China, Cambodia and Iraq—have been returned by the United States to 24 countries, according to ICE.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Il mercato dell’arte in Italia: Da Vittorio Sella a Man Ray

Man Ray (1890-1976), ‘Mélancolie,’ 1926. Stampa alla gelatina sali d’argento, stampata nel 1974. Intitolata, datata e timbro del fotografo sul verso, cm 27,8 x 23,5 (10.9 x 9.3 in.) Stima 5mila-8mila euro. Courtesy Minerva Auctions.

Il 29 aprile alle 16 la casa d’aste romana Minerva terrà la sua asta primaverile di fotografie con un’offerta che include un’ampia gamma di generi e va incontro ai gusti più diversi. “Come in altri segmenti dell’arte”, ci spiega l’esperta di fotografia di Minerva Silvia Berselli, “i collezionisti di solito si concentrano su un genere solo, per cui è difficile individuare dei trend del mercato, ma ogni genere mantiene la sua clientela affezionata”.

Già il primo lotto in vendita è interessante: si tratta di un paesaggio di Vittorio Sella, alpinista e fotografo, stimato tra 2.000 e 2.500 euro. È un lotto importante per via del formato panoramico, che è molto apprezzato dai collezionisti, ma anche per il soggetto, il Karakorum. “Vittorio Sella viene nominato da un grande fotografo americano come Anselm Adam come uno dei suoi modelli. Tuttavia i prezzi di Adam sono enormemente più alti di quelli di Sella. È un segno della forza del mercato americano, non solo rispetto a quello italiano ma anche francese e inglese, perché c’è una cultura museale legata alla fotografia e anche di pubblicazioni scientifiche.

Sempre dello stesso periodo ci sono in vendita alcune fotografie di Wilhelm von Gloeden e Guglielmo Von Plüschow, due cugini tedeschi che vivevano in sud Italia e sono diventati famosi per i loro ritratti voyeuristici di ragazzi seminudi carichi di tensione sensuale omosessuale. Questi due nomi sono particolarmente richiesti in Germania e in Francia. Le stime vanno da 300 a 1.000 euro (lotti 4-7 e 12-14).

In alcuni casi il livello di specializzazione dei collezionisti è così alto da arrivare a guardare a un solo tema, come per esempio per i collezionisti di fotografie di Josephine Baker. Minerva ne offre alcune tra 300 e 500 euro (lotti 20-26). Anche i collezionisti di fotografie di cinema sono molto specializzati. Per loro alla prossima asta di Minerva ci sono ritratti di divi del cinema come Sophia Loren e Marcello Mastroianni (lotti 119-142, stime tra 100 e 600 euro).

Nel genere della fotografie di moda, che è il genere più forte nel mercato della fotografia se escludiamo gli artisti contemporanei che lavorano con la fotografia, ci sono Jeanloup Sieff e Frank Horvat, mentre Horst P. Horst è rappresentato con una natura morta (lotto 116), stimata 3.500-4.000 euro, e un ritratto di Elsa Schiapparelli (lotto 117), stimato 2.500-3.000 euro.

La fotografia francese è rappresentata da Sabine Weiss e Henri Cartier Bresson. Di Sabine Weiss ci sono alcuni ritratti di Giacometti che in genere sono interessanti per i collezionisti di arte contemporanea (lotti 34-35, stime 900-1.200 euro).

Tra i nomi più noti c’è anche Man Ray con una fotografia che ha la stima più alta di quelle in offerta: Mélancolie, del 1926, stimata tra 5mila e 8mila euro. Il negativo è del 26, mentre la stampa è del 74 ma è contemporanea all’artista, che è morto nel 76. Una fotografia simile è stata esposta al Pompidou.

La fotografia italiana, invece, è rappresentata dai fotografi della prima metà del secolo, sia i ritrattisti che quelli più sperimentali. Sono nomi poco noti in Italia ma che vanno molto negli Stati Uniti come Mario Prandi, Giacinto Oriani, Elio Luxardo, Domenico Ricardo Peretti-Griva (lotti 64-85). C’è anche Ghitta Carell, che era ebrea ma era anche la fotografa di Mussolini. Susan Sontag l’ha citata come una fotografa con un occhio particolarmente acuto. A lei è dedicata una mostra al Pastificio Cerere a Roma che apre il 18 aprile. Ma ci sono anche i fotografi degli anni 40-50, quelli del Neorealismo, come Mario De Biasi e Pepi Merisio.

L’asta include anche una selezione dedicata al colore, con un’importante immagine astratta di Luigi Veronesi (lotto 148, stima 2.800-3.500 euro) e poi la fotografia più contemporanea.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

André Kèrtesz (1894-1985), ‘La Fourchette,’ 1928. Stampa alla gelatina sali d’argento, stampata nel 1970 circa. Timbro a secco del fotografo, cm 20,8 x 25,8 (8.2 x 10.2 in.) Stima 1.200-1.600 euro. Courtesy Minerva Auctions.

Luigi Veronesi (1908-1998), ‘Variante 2,’ 1987. Stampa cromogenica, opera unica. Firmata e datata a penna sul recto; Firmata e intitolata a penna nera sul verso, cm 68 x 48 (26.8 x 18.9 in.) Stima 2.800-3.500 euro. Courtesy Minerva Auctions.

Art Market Italy: Photography from Vittorio Sella to Man Ray

Man Ray (1890-1976), ‘Mélancolie,’ 1926. Gelatin silver print, printed 1974. Titled and dated with photographer’s credit stamp on the verso, cm 27.8 x 23.5 (10.9 x 9.3 inches). Estimate €5,000-8,000. Courtesy Minerva Auctions.

On April 29, at 4 p.m. Italian time, Rome-based auction house Minerva Auctions will hold its Spring Sale of Photographs. The offering includes a broad scope of genres, attempting to appeal to different tastes. “As in other sectors of art, collectors tend to concentrate on just one genre,” Minerva’s photography expert Silvia Berselli explains us in an interview, “therefore it is difficult to individualize precise trends of the market. Every genre has its own passionate clientele.”

Already the first lot on sale is interesting: it is a landscape by Vittorio Sella, mountaineer and photographer, which has an estimate of €2,000 to 2,500. It is in an important work for its panoramic format, which is appreciated by collectors, but also for its subject, the Karakorum. “Vittorio Sella is mentioned by a great American photographer Ansel Adams as one of his masters. Still, prices for works by Adams are tremendously higher than those for Sella. It is a sign of the strength of the market for American photography, not only in comparison to the Italian one but also to the French and English one, because it is supported by museums and scientific publications. There is a much stronger photography culture than here,” said Berselli.

For sale from the same period are photographs by Wilhelm von Gloeden and Guglielmo Von Plüschow, two German cousins who settled in South Italy and became famous for their voyeuristic portraits of boys that carry a homosexual sensuality. These two photographers are very much in demand in France and Germany. Estimates range between €300 and €1,000 (lots 4-7 and 12-14).

In some cases the level of specialization of collectors is so high that they look at just one subject. It is the case of collectors of photographs picturing Josephine Baker. Minerva auctions offers some of them between €300-500 (lots 20-26). Also collectors of photographs related to cinema are very specialized. For them the auction has portraits of cinema stars like Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni (lots 119-142, estimate between €100-600).

Fashion photography, which is the strongest genre in photography if you discard those contemporary artists working with photography who set millionaire prices, is represented by Jeanloup Sieff and Frank Horvat, while Horst P. Horst is represented by a still life (lot 116), carrying an estimate of €3,500-4,000, and by a portrait of Elsa Schiapparelli (lot 117), estimated €2,500-3,000.

French photography is represented by Sabine Weiss and Henri Cartier Bresson. There are some portraits of Giacometti by Sabine Weiss, which are generally interesting for collectors of contemporary art (lots 34-35, estimate between €900-1,200).

Among the best-known names there is also Man Ray with a photograph carrying the highest estimate among those on offer: Mélancolie, from 1926, estimated between €5,000 and 8,000. The negative of the image is from 1926, while the print is from 1974, but is still contemporary to the artist, who died in 1976. A similar photograph was exhibited at Centre Pompidou.

Italian photography is represented by photographers of the first half of the century, both the portraitists and the most experimental ones. These are names that are not so well-known in Italy, but are well-marketed in the United States, like Mario Prandi, Giacinto Oriani, Elio Luxardo and Domenico Ricardo Peretti-Griva (lots 64-85). There is also Ghitta Carell, who was a Jew, but was also Mussolini’s photographer. Susan Sontag mentioned her as a photographer with an acute eye. Rome-based institution Pastificio Cerere is giving her a solo show starting on April 18.

There are also photographers from the 1940s and 1950s, those from the Neorealism, like Mario De Biasi and Pepi Merisio.

The auction includes a section dedicated to color photography, with an important abstract image by Luigi Veronesi (lot 148, estimate €2,800-3,500) and also to contemporary photography.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Sign up for daily highlights by email