Versace-Styled Auction
By Stephanie Wilson
On March 12, its your turn to get your hands on $3 million-plus worth of painting, furniture, and works of art from late designer Gianni Versace’s amazing Villa Fontanelle on Lake Como, Italy. Sotheby’s in London will be auctioning off the contents of the 1776 villa that Versace purchased in 1977, restoring it to its original splendor. Versace himself supervised every step of the renovation at the Villa Fontanelle and spared no expense. It was said to be his preferred residence.The villa was sold to a Russian billionaire for $52 million last year, and the Versace family has now decided to auction off its handpicked contents.
Highlights from the sale include a brilliant pair of Italian gilt and patinated bronze-mounted bookcases, which were originally bought by princess Pauline Boghese for the Library at Palazzo Borghese in Rome, est. about $110,000 – $140,000; a pair of stunning Sevres Coral-red-ground vases “Etrusques”, circa 1795, est. about $11,000 – 17,000; and pair of life-sized cast of Antonio Canova’s Pugilists in plaster, c.1800, which were displayed in Versace’s own bedroom to watch over the master designer as he slept, estimated at about $30,000 – $60,000.
Paintings from Versace’s collection emphasize the tempera on canvas Hercules at the Crossroads Between Vice and Virtue attributed to Pelagio Palagi in 1820, est. about $35,000 – $55,000, as well as a very solid collection of paintings on glass, miniatures and a vast array of works of art depicting Roman emperors. This is probably the last opportunity to enter Gianni’s world and purchase something from a collection that is representative of one of his legacy.
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