30/08/2001
by Francesca Brambilla

The 1950’s are regarded as Ennio Morlotti’s best period, a fact confirmed by recent hammer prices. Landscape, an oil on canvas from 1957 (50 x 60 cm), was presented on the 13^th June 2001 by Finarte, Milan with an estimate of $ 37,500-46,950 (€ 41,300-51,670) and then sold for $ 54,000 (€ 59,400). Vegetation, another oil on canvas from 1957 (75 x 58 cm) was acquired during the same auction for $ 36,600 (€ 40,280). Morlotti himself, often referred to the 1950’s as his strongest period, with the market following suit, as prices from the last 10 years have shown. Hammer prices have stabilised at around $ 28,650 (€ 31,500). His oil on canvas, Imbersago (1956), sold in 1995 at the auction house Finarte in Milan at such a figure, whereas Vegetation (70 x 81 cm) from 1958 was auctioned at the same saleroom on the 12^th December 2000. Both works surpassed their estimates.

From 1990 to today, the market for this artist from Lecco (in northern Italy) has stayed consistent with no tubulent peaks or troughs. Furthermore with the publication of his catalogue raisonée "Catalogo Ragionato dei Dipinti" (Edizione Skira, 2000) his profile is much in evidence. The publication, divided into two volumes, ranges from his first Landscapes from 1936 (a Landscape from 1937, oil on canvas, 45 x 55 cm, was sold by Finarte Milan in April 1999 for $ 5,400, € 5,900), to the last works that belong to his "Rose" series from 1992. The publication of the catalogue was awaited by dealers and collectors and consolidates Morlotti’s place in auction sales.

During the last few months there has been an increase in the number of works by Morlotti auctioned in Italy. As well as those already mentioned, a few works executed at the beginning of the "Flowers" series (1960’s) are worth noting: an oil of small dimensions (33 x 29 cm) was sold by Christie's, Milan in the Autumn of 2000 for $ 5,160 (€ 5,680) and a large oil on canvas (100 x 70 cm) was auctioned on the 1^st October 2000 by Meeting Art in Vercelli for $ 75,100 (€ 82,600). On average the "Flowers" series works are estimated between $ 4,700 and 9,300 (€ 5,170-8,400), for canvases of small dimensions (35 x 30 cm), and $ 16,400-18,780 (€ 18,100-20,660) for larger works, like an oil on canvas from 1963 (65 x 50 cm) which sold in June 1997 at Semenzato in Venice for $ 17,800 (€ 19,600).

A more modest interest has been shown on the Italian market for works executed between the end of the 1960’s (the "Nudes" series) and the beginning of the 1970’s (the "Skulls" series). "Nudes" and "Skulls" of medium/large dimensions are generally sold for about $ 9,380 (€ 10,300). Within this price range may also be found another of his series’ "Rocks", which reflects the influence of the Ligurian landscape on Morlotti. However paintings from the last years are not in great demand. The same applies for his works in pencil and pastels that have a market range of $ 938-3,280 (€ 1,030-3,600), depending on the dimensions and the subject.