Reflections on art, craft, and quiet heritage ahead of Sotheby’s Milan sale
In Italy, collecting is never just about possession. It's about continuing a story. Whether it's a home on Lake Como or a sculpture that has crossed centuries, what we choose to preserve says something about who we are—and who we aspire to become.
This truth resonates deeply with me, perhaps because of where I began. Before I entered real estate, I spent time working with stone—chiseling, sanding, breathing with the material. It was a brief chapter in my life, but one that taught me to respect form, silence, and endurance. And maybe that's why, even today, I find myself drawn to works that carry the fingerprint of the artisan across time.
Nowhere is that presence felt more than in An Italian Collecting Journey: 16th–20th Century Paintings and Decorative Arts , the upcoming Sotheby's sale in Milan (25 September 2025) . This curated selection isn't just an auction—it's a tribute to the Italian way of living with beauty, of surrounding ourselves with history, not to impress, but to belong.
1. Attributed to Giovanni Bonazza (1654–1736), Italian—Marble Allegory of Venice
If I had to name a favorite, this would likely be it. Bonazza doesn't just sculpt Venice—he embodies her. The marble breathes with rhythm and restraint. There's power here, but it's quiet, self-assured, sovereign. The same kind of strength I recognize in the finest villas along the lake: built to last, never loud, always present.
2. Circle of Isaiah of Pisa (Active 1447–1464), Marble Relief
Link →
There's a spiritual elegance to this 15th-century relief that speaks to devotion—both sacred and artistic. The lines are tender but disciplined, each curve carved with purpose. It brings me back to the bench, to the silence of the studio, where small movements shaped enduring presence. This is what I look for in a property too: details that whisper, never demand.
3. Attributed to the Manifattura di Scagliola Romana – Armorial Table Top
