Spotlight on artists Josef Albers and Leonor Fini at Il Ponte auctions in Milan

Between May 26 and 28, 2026, Il Ponte Casa d’Aste held its spring auctions of modern and contemporary art in Milan, generating over €4.7 million in sales with 90% of lots sold. The top lot was Josef Albers’s *Study for Homage to the Square: Full Tenor* (1959), which sold for €384,000, followed by Leonor Fini’s *Portrait d’Italo Svevo* (1928), which fetched €358,400—far exceeding its presale estimate of €15,000–25,000. The Fini portrait was acquired by Fondazione CRTrieste, ensuring it remains in Trieste. Other notable sales included Giorgio Morandi’s *Fiori* (1946) at €256,000 and works by Salvo, Fausto Melotti, and Medardo Rosso.

The auction underscores the continued strength of the Italian art market, with Il Ponte achieving a strong sell-through rate and significant premiums over estimates. The sale of the Fini portrait to a local foundation highlights the role of cultural institutions in repatriating important works to their cities of origin, while the Albers result confirms sustained international demand for Bauhaus and abstract masters. The auction also demonstrates the enduring appeal of Italian modernists like Morandi and Melotti, and the growing market for Futurist works on paper.