There are big expectations about the art market concerning the new year, started only a few months ago. After 2020 affected by the health crisis and 2021 in fast recovery, where the big Maisons of all the latitudes reached extraordinary sales, what should we expect now? Crypto art and cryptocurrency but also multimedia, photography, innovative and current artistic researches, without leaving out the Old Masters, always present in all the big auction houses of all the world.
Nevertheless, we wonder how much space will be left to NFTs, a phenomenon that for some time now is making people talk, but that does not seem to be supported by all the most relevant cultural institutions of the world. A sure answer is not possible yet; meanwhile, here is what has already marked 2022.
1. On February 1, Art-Rite unveiled its first auction of the year
Seventy-two lots, composed of international artists’ works and coming from about twenty different countries, opened the auction of the Milanese house Art-Rite on February 1.
Characterised by a plurality of languages and mixed techniques, the sale inserted itself inside a new format, “4-U News” dedicated to the latest artistic contemporary experimentations.
Not only names the likes of Maurizio Cattelan, that stands out in the catalog with four lots, including Perita of 1991 estimated within 2000 euros and 4000 euros and won for 2.250 euro, but also artists like Lorenzo Marini, that established its first record of sale with the work Windtype (won for 25.890 euro) only last October.
2. Thurifer angel in a yellow tunic by Bernhard Strigel, 1520, is the new primacy for the renaissance German sold by Artpaugée of Toulouse
The Artpaugée auction house of Toulouse sold for 3,5 million euros, the work recently attributed to the renaissance painter Bernhard Strigel. A religious panel, part of the altarpiece representing a thurifer angel, recorded a new record for the German artist.
The work, found in a private house of Toulouse by Pauline Marringe, co-founder of the French auction house, has been posted at a first moment under the magnifying glass of the expert Eric Turquin, that has authenticated the artwork after having noticed the similarity with an altar panel of the same author, today conserved at the Louvre of Abu Dhabi.
Il 4 febbraio la casa Artpaugée di Tolosa ha venduto per 3,5 milioni di euro l’opera recentemente attribuita al pittore rinascimentale Bernhard Strigel. Un pannello religioso, appartenente ad una pala d’altare raffigurante un angelo turifero ha registrato un nuovo record per l’artista tedesco. L’opera, ritrovata in una casa privata di Tolosa da Pauline Marringe, co-fondatrice della casa d’aste francese, in un primo momento è stata posta sotto la lente d’ingrandimento dell’esperto Eric Turquin che ha autenticato l’opera dopo aver notato la somiglianza con un pannello d’altare dello stesso autore, oggi conservato al Louvre di Abu Dhabi.
3. Enigma is the name of the black diamond in auction at Sotheby’s beaten for 3,6 million pounds, and bought with cryptocurrency.
A natural diamond of 555,55 carats created by the impact of a meteorite has been bought with cryptocurrency payment. Sotheby’s accepted a similar payment only last year for the diamond The Key, sold in Hong Kong for 12 million dollars.
The auction has been held online, and for the occasion was decided to offer the single lot without reserve, namely without indicating a minimum estimation.
It opened on February 3, closing on February 9 with the acquisition by the entrepreneur Richard Heart, who let know to be the new owner of Enigma with a post via Twitter.
- Erica Massaccesi