by Guido Wannenes
Wine is one of the greatest signs of civilization in the world, to quote Ernest Hemingway. It is passion, history, culture, art. Aware of being in front of a form of art, we decided to dedicate a new department to it – Wine & Spirits – which will be directed by Gelasio Gaetani d’Aragona Lovatelli and which will debut in 2019.
The previews end with an anticipation of this new project and a “taste” of one of the great Italian wines: Giacomo Conterno’s Barolo. Then, Ginori porcelains made in Doccia and the English silverware, a splendid ring by Bulgari and Charles III’s silver ounce, Caravaggio’s painting and a masterpiece by Alfredo Luxoro for the 1883 National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Rome.
The sale of the Dimora di un Gentiluomo Fiorentino, which confirms Wannenes’ vocation for single owner sale, and the “Liana” bookshop by Ettore Sottsass, a true icon of Italian design, stand out.
In the cover story we present a painting, which will be presented in the November’s auction, by Paolo de Matteis – Salmace and Hermaphroditus – to be counted among the masterpieces of the artist made for a large aristocratic gallery as Riccardo Lattuada tells us.
America is the centre of Alessandro Secciani’s economic analysis while Roberta Olcese introduces us to an Italian excellence: Fondazione Alda Fendi and its most ambitious project, to become the branch of the Hermitage in Rome. A fundamental vademecum for collectors who want to invest in art and the Fondazione Cini in Venice are the themes chosen by Giuseppe Calabi and Luca Violo, while Tomaso Montanari wonders about the right strategies to govern tourism in Italy.
The first half of 2018 marked the further growth of our company and saw the opportunity to hold two auctions in the Principality of Monaco, thanks to the partnership with Art Contact, which we want to further consolidate in the future by expanding the spectrum of areas of collaboration. Finally, I am pleased to welcome to the company, as well as Gelasio Gaetani d’Aragona Lovatelli, whom I spoke about at the beginning, Jacopo Villa, the new expert in the Classic & Sports Cars department in Wannenes. Great wines and great cars to support the traditional departments, that is to say Art in all its many forms … in short, Art Passion, our passion, always.
TOP LOTS 2018
Abito imperiale con draghi ed i “dodici simboli” Jifu, periodo Jiaqing (1796-1820)
Stima € 14.000 – 18.000 Aggiudicato a € 212.500
Jan Brueghel il giovane Paesaggio con villaggio rurale e castello
Stima € 15.000 – 25.000 Aggiudicato a € 200.000
Anton Mirou Paesaggio con castello
Stima € 5.000 – 8.000 Aggiudicato a € 137.500
Alighiero Boetti Sciogliersi come neve al sole…,1988 circa
Stima € 20.000 – 30.000 Aggiudicato a € 137.500
Alighiero Boetti Una parola al vento, 1989 circa
Stima € 40.000 – 60.000 Aggiudicato a € 118.750