ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Milano Spring Auctions 2019: Record Results for Schifano and Morandi

market-auction · 2026-05-04

The spring 2019 art market in Milan concluded with strong results, driven by miart and the auctions of Christie's and Sotheby's. Christie's achieved a white-glove sale on April 3, selling 100% of lots, and a total of €13,932,875 across two sessions. Sotheby's auction on April 11 realized €17,500,500, up from €13,631,875 in 2018, with 88.6% of lots sold. World records were set for Mario Schifano's 'Con anima' (1965) at €972,500 and '7 Agosto 1961' at €948,500, and for Giorgio Morandi's 'Natura morta' (1939) at €900,500. Other notable sales included Giorgio de Chirico's 'Intérieur métaphysique' (1925) at €876,500, a joint work by Lucio Fontana and Roberto Crippa 'Venerdì Santo a Madrid' (1960) at €756,500, and records for Gastone Novelli (€360,500), Sergio Lombardo (€275,000), and Atanasio Soldati (€97,500). The positive market sentiment was bolstered by miart, where many galleries reported strong sales, and the concurrent Salone del Mobile, enhancing Milan's international appeal.

Key facts

  • Christie's spring auction in Milan achieved €13,932,875 total, with a white-glove sale on April 3.
  • Sotheby's spring auction on April 11 totaled €17,500,500, up from €13,631,875 in 2018.
  • Mario Schifano's 'Con anima' (1965) sold for €972,500, a world record.
  • Giorgio Morandi's 'Natura morta' (1939) sold for €900,500, a world record.
  • Giorgio de Chirico's 'Intérieur métaphysique' (1925) sold for €876,500.
  • Lucio Fontana and Roberto Crippa's joint work 'Venerdì Santo a Madrid' (1960) sold for €756,500.
  • World records were also set for Gastone Novelli (€360,500), Sergio Lombardo (€275,000), and Atanasio Soldati (€97,500).
  • miart and Salone del Mobile contributed to Milan's positive market energy.

Entities

Artists

  • Mario Schifano
  • Giorgio Morandi
  • Giorgio de Chirico
  • Lucio Fontana
  • Roberto Crippa
  • Gastone Novelli
  • Sergio Lombardo
  • Atanasio Soldati
  • Antonella Crippa

Institutions

  • Christie's
  • Sotheby's
  • miart
  • Salone del Mobile
  • Artribune
  • Intesa Sanpaolo

Locations

  • Milan
  • Italy
  • London
  • Basel

Sources