06/12/2001

On the 4th of December new records were set for the Italian artists Mario Sironi and Marino Marini during the IA Modern paintings auctions. The IA is a grouping together of 10 independent auction houses from all around the world who hold their sales of Modern and Impressionist art on the same day, thereby sharing catalogue production costs, advertising and mailing lists. At Finarte, Milan a bronze sculpture by Marini entitled Cavaliere and measuring 103 x 60 cm sold for $ 1.17 million (€ 1.31 million), though the work has been barred export by the Soprintendenza alle Belle Arti (or national art heritage committee). That same afternoon at Galerie Koller in Switzerland Mario Sironi’s 1924 oil on canvas Il povero pescatore created a new record for the artist when it sold for $ 490,860 (€ 550,270). (Andrew Moore)