Gerolamo Etro's Art Collection Heads to Auction in Milan

Gerolamo 'Gimmo' Etro, founder of the fashion house ETRO, amassed a diverse art collection over five decades, reflecting personal tastes rather than academic categories. A portion of this collection will be auctioned by Il Ponte Casa d'Aste in Milan from September 22 to 24, under the title 'Gerolamo Etro – A Love Affair'. The sale includes paintings, silver, furniture, and decorative objects from various eras and origins. Notable lots include a large two-handled silver cup dedicated to conductor Arturo Toscanini, donated in 1921 by Italian musicians in Philadelphia during La Scala Orchestra's American tour, estimated at €12,000–15,000. Another silver cup, given by the Savoia-Aosta branch for the wedding of Tommaso di Savoia, Duke of Genoa, and Isabella of Bavaria (Wittelsbach dynasty), is valued at €10,000–12,000. Paintings feature 'La Casta Diva' (1903) by Vittorio Matteo Corcos (estimate €22,000–25,000) and a portrait of Stanley Baldwin by British painter Glyn Warren Philpot (estimate €12,000–15,000). Furniture includes a mid-20th-century English sofa by Holland & Sons (estimate €4,500–5,000). The auction's heterogeneity highlights Etro's eclectic collecting style, driven by encounters and occasions. The sale covers only part of his collection; with his wife Roberta, he also assembled significant holdings of ancient art, including terracottas, marbles, and bronzes, which have been published.