28/11/2001

Medardo Rosso and Giuseppe Santomaso quadrupled their estimates. Lucio Fontana and Alighiero Boetti trippled their quotes. Apart from the ever popular Fontana, top lots were Massimo Campigli and Giacomo Balla on the 27th of November, at Sotheby’s Milan. The best performances were: Girl in the sun, a small wax head by Medardo Rosso, which fetched $ 119,000 (€ 134,540) against an estimate of $ 27,400-36,550 (€ 30,900-41,300); Hot grape harvest night in Castelfranco, an oil on canvas by Santomaso, was sold for $ 92,200 (€ 104,220) against $ 22,800-27,420 (€ 25,800-30,900); Concetto spaziale, a painted terracotta by Fontana was bought for $ 24,410 (€ 27,580) against an estimate of $ 6,860-9,145 (€ 7,700-10,300); Melting like snow in the sun, a small tapestry by Boetti, fetched $ 9,740 (€ 11,000) having been priced at only $ 2,750-3,660 (€ 3,100-4,100). As regards the top lots, Fontana was on top with Concetto spaziale with pebbles on a white background, which sold for $ 251,100 (€ 283,580), followed by the oil on canvas Jeu de la ficelle by Massimo Campigli which sold at its low-end of $ 224,530 (€ 253,580), and Dinamismo d’automobile by Giacomo Balla that fetched $ 247,790 (€ 219,430). (Elena Balzani)