Posted on 10/20/2023 2:18:29 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The art collection of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who died in June, has been deemed worthless by leading Italian art critic Vittorio Sgarbi, the BBC reported on Thursday.
Berlusconi, who had a net worth of €6 billion (about $6.4 billion), purchased many of the paintings and sculptures in his collection from late night televised auctions.
A whopping 25,000 paintings of Madonnas, naked women, and European cityscapes have been deemed of poor quality with little to no value. Only six or seven from the lot, according to Sgarbi, have any artistic worth.
Related Articles A white man smiles while wearing a blue jacket and blue shirt. Art Advisers Should Add Value to Collecting, Not Extract It Liu Yiqian Waves Off Tea Controversy, Says $36.3 Million Cup 'Isn't... Appropriate for the Masses' Altogether, the collection has an estimated value of €20 million (roughly $21.2 million), with an average of about €800 (approximately $847) per painting.
Since Berlusconi’s passing, his descendants have had a difficult time managing the collection, which is held in a 34,400 square foot warehouse near his mansion outside of Milan. The warehouse costs nearly €800,000 (about $846,880) per year to maintain.
Additionally, a portion of the collection has been compromised by woodworms and, in some cases, the extermination costs would exceed the value of the artwork.
However, Berlusconi also owned higher quality paintings, including works by the Renaissance painter Titian and the Dutch master Rembrandt, which were housed at his primary residence.
London-based art dealer Cesare Lampronti who worked closely with Berlusconi for three decades noted that he was an impulsive buyer, adding, “He knew what he was buying was worthless.”
Maybe he has a couple dozen of those dogs playing poker pictures. They could sell them on Ebay.
What about sentimental value?
I remember those dog playing poker pictures. Now I’m going to have to look online
Any velvet Elvis’s?
I’ll bet there’s a “Velvet Elvis” or ten in that “collection”. Heh.
GMTA. Heh.
“... from late night televised auctions.”
Fascinating that dime-a-dozen renaissance-era Madonnas and cityscapes are apparently auctioned off on Italian TV... a bit different than mops and toaster ovens hawked by our TV shopping networks.
Good thing he didn’t over value them, or he’d be thrown into a New York prison for 600 years.
Looks like my boy, Silvio, was buying his artwork during the midnight arts and crafts segment of Home Shoppers network. Betcha he has a few lawn jockeys in his collection
I’ll bet he’s got some great Rocco Picasso’s.
LOL.
What, a porn collection doesn’t have any value?
There goes my estate.
You guys are disappointing.
No mention of any Hunter Bidens?
C’mon. And 10% for you-know-who
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