by Guido Vitali, Massimo Vecchia
The enlarged Department of Modern and Contemporary Art made an increase of 82.4% in turnover in 2016 compared to the previous year in its two sales in Milan – in June and November. Among the best results was the 347,200 euro reached by the iconic sculpture entitled Poesia (“Poetry”) by Fausto Melotti from 1962, a record figure for the Department for an individual work and confirmation of the ever-increasing interest in the artist. Two works, La guerra è astratta (“War is Abstract”) from 1971 by Carlo Rama and 10 May 1963 by Kenneth Noland (painted in the same year), one of the most important exponents of post-war Abstract American art, both reached the same hammer price, 99,200 euro. Lastly, Nice, les barques by Raoul Dufy, from 1929, was sold at 86,600 euro.