Matteo Gardonio appointed director of Il Ponte Casa d’Aste’s 19th-20th century department

Matteo Gardonio, formerly an academic and scientific researcher specializing in the 19th and early 20th centuries, has been appointed director of the Paintings and Sculptures of the 19th and 20th Centuries department at Il Ponte Casa d’Aste in Milan. He previously held the chair of Comparative Art History at the University of Trieste and coordinated the Center for Glass Art Studies at the Giorgio Cini Foundation in Venice. In an interview with Artribune, Gardonio discussed the current state of the market for 19th- and early 20th-century art, noting a shift toward quality and historical significance over artist name recognition. He observed growing interest from young and unexpected collectors, as well as from Asian buyers. Il Ponte’s November 22 auction achieved €529,350 with a 70% sell-through rate, while the May 2018 auction totaled €692,438 with 68% sold. Gardonio expects further improvement due to increased interest in figurative art. Highlights of the upcoming sale include works by Ettore Tito, Federico Zandomeneghi, Girolamo Induno, Filippo Carcano, and Pietro Fragiacomo, as well as a Boldini female portrait and pieces by Irolli, Alessio Issupoff, and Milesi. Gardonio recommends Venetian artists such as Ciardi, Fragiacomo, Favretto, Barison, Milesi, and Zandomeneghi, along with Arturo Tosi, Pio Semeghini, Piero Marussig, Leonardo Dudreville, and Marcello Dudovich, while noting that neoclassical and retrograde romantic artists are currently struggling.