The Italian art market is continuing to rouse enthusiasm and attract the attention of worldwide famous collectors. A sector that has recorded a constant development over the years. Just think of 2007 when Christie’s and Sotheby’s held the Italian Sales in London. The former auction house had totalled 21 billion euros, while Sotheby’s almost took 22 billion. Last year, both auction houses sold 87% of their catalogue works.  A noticeable result for Sotheby’s, whose highest sale estimate reached 16,740,000 euros, thus realizing a 76% spread, almost equalling the success achieved in 2006, when an 80% increase was recorded.  On the contrary, Christie’s achieved 8% less than the highest estimates.
However, if these are economic data from last year, at last in the middle of October all art lovers will be able to enjoy new exploits that the Italian Sales will offer thanks to a selection of extraordinary works by modern and contemporary Italian masters, belonging to the main artistic movements.  Excellent opportunities that will offer expert collectors, as well as new buyers from all over the world, a chance to participate in a new and exciting area of art collecting. 
If Sotheby’s still has not announced anything about the event, Christie’s is playing its cards up front by publicizing from now the Italian Sale that will take place on 20th October at the King Street venue. At its seventh edition, the sale exclusively dedicated to twentieth-century Italian art will include again this year the works of the most important Italian artists, who are sought-after by international collectors.
As claimed by Mariolina Bassetti, Director of the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art for Christie’s Italy and co-head of the sale: “Twentieth-century Italian art undoubtedly has an extraordinary potential to expand at international level.  In the last years we have seen an unprecedented interest from the world of art.  It is one of the categories that is growing most and names such as Fontana, Manzoni and Burri are increasingly sought-after by the great collectors from all over the world.  The catalogue of the next edition of Christie’s Italian Sale relies on works created by some of the greatest twentieth-century Italian artists.  Among all, we must mention “Il Ponte”, considered one of the most iconic works by Pino Pascali, for which a new record is expected”. 
In fact, Pascali’s record was reached in 2007 when Christie’s sold one of his installations for 860,500 pounds, against an estimate of 500-700 thousand pounds.  Protagonist of Poor Art (Arte Povera), Pascali realized “Il Ponte”  in 1968: a huge sculpture-installation made of interwoven steel wool, estimated at £ 1,500,000-2,000,000. The work, part of a series with which the author intended to investigate the primitive world through the antithetic use of contemporary industrial materials, comes directly from the collection of Fabio Sargentini, owner of  L’Attico, the Roman gallery that launched Pascali and many other artists belonging to Poor Art. 
Among the latter, Jannis Kounellis stands out at the auction with “Senza Titolo” from 1960 (estimate: 400-600 thousand pounds) and an installation realized by Mario Merz in New York in 1972, entitled “Fibonacci” (estimate:  100-150 thousand pounds). Furthermore, there will be works by Giuseppe Penone, Gilberto Zorio and Giovanni Anselmo, with estimates included between 30 and 150 thousand pounds.
Created during the same years, although very different for genre ad conception, “Partizione centrale” is a large canvas painted with acrylic colours and sand by Domenico Gnoli, which will start from an auction base of 250-350 thousand pounds.  Other interesting works are “Superficie Bianca” by Enrico Castellani from 1968 (estimate: 200-300 thousand pounds), and “Senza Titolo” realized in 1966 by Agostino Bonalumi (estimate: 80-120 thousand pounds).
Proceeding backwards, we should point out two works by Lucio Fontana: both “Concetto Spaziale”, which were created one more than ten years after the other. On brass the piece from 1962 estimated at 350-550 thousand pounds, the yellow on black background from 1957, which will be proposed to the public with an estimate included between 250 and 350 thousand pounds.
The best lots include “Achrome” by Piero Manzoni estimated at £ 1,500,000-2,000,0000 and a canvas by Marino Marini: “Cavaliere in blu”, estimate 400-600 thousand pounds.  Another piece that should be mentioned is the elegant “Natura Morta” by Giorgio Morandi painted around 1948, which comes from Giacomo Manzù’s personal collection (estimate 400-600 thousand pounds).
Realized in 1953 with pumice stone, canvas, oil, varnish and polyvinyl acetate adhesive on plywood, “Rosso” is a work created by Alberto Burri during a crucial period of his life (estimate £800,000-1,200,000).
The rich selection of Christie’s Italian Sale includes many other artists who are widely renowned in the art market.  Among these, Giorgio de Chirico, present in the catalogue with two “Piazza d’Italia” both realized in the late thirties and estimated at 300-400 thousand pounds each.  In conclusion, Christie’s has announced another important rediscovery: “Donna che cuce”  from 1906, an extraordinary painting belonging to Umberto Boccioni’s divisionist period (estimate 250-350 thousand pounds). (translated by Giorgina Arcuri)