A Seller’s Guide to Mario Schifano

As a significant figure in Italian contemporary art history, Schifano’s work sustains a strong market, with all of his top 10 auction sales records occurring in the last 10 years. Individual prints can expect to achieve between £3,000 and £10,000, with Schifano’s most famous diptych canvas silkscreen prints achieving the highest values. Many of his most iconic works were produced in the 1970s, combining printed mass-media and consumer-culture logos with the textured ink of minimal silkscreen printing - it is these works that attract the most attention from collectors.

The record for highest price achieved by a Schifano print at auction is held by an untitled monotype from the early 1970s. It features one of Schifano’s most recognisable motifs: the repeated outline of a running man. As a monotype, this piece is unique, making it an original work in its own right. As a diptych, it becomes even more desirable. In May 2024, the piece sold for £35,775 at Dorotheum in Austria. A monotype silkscreen print featuring the same design, but in a blue colourway, sold for £18,853 in 2022, demonstrating the speed at which demand for certain Schifano prints is growing.

Schifano favoured creating monotype prints. Many are, however, created using the same plates and designs, with their compositions slightly rearranged or new colours introduced. Schifano’s variations on Albero, for example, are all monotypes, printed using the same image of a tree using different layers of colour (these monotypes sell for between £1,500 and £5,000). In this way, Schifano played with and subverted the purpose of printmaking as a practice. Another notable sale in 2024 was of Vittoria Sul Sole Per Kasimir Malevic (1971/74), a diptych monotype that achieved £21,424 in Milan. It’s important to note, however, that the rarity of monotype prints means that these results do not necessarily provide insight into the trends for limited-edition multiples.

An example of a popular limited edition print by Schifano is Tutte Stelle - Oasi (1971), produced in an edition of 120. In March 2024, a print from this series sold at auction in Italy for £1,029 after receiving a high estimate of just £343. Limited edition prints with distinctive features, such as hand-colouring or unique variations in the printing process are more likely to achieve higher sales values. His later works, which often combine multiple printing techniques, have seen increasing demand, especially in the Italian market where his legacy remains strongest.

Establishing authenticity for a Schifano print requires careful examination of both physical characteristics and documentation. A clear trail of provenance is essential, particularly given Schifano's complex relationship with the art market during his lifetime. Original certificates from Studio Marconi, his primary print publisher during the 1960s and 1970s, or Studio Nino Soldano, both in Milan, carry significant weight. Gallery receipts, exhibition catalogues, and correspondence with the artist are also valuable references. It is also vital to check for the presence of studio stamps from recognised printers, particularly those from Roman print workshops where Schifano frequently worked.

Understanding Schifano's printing processes can also aid authentication, particularly due to the prevalence of monotypes in his portfolio. His screenprints often feature distinctive layering techniques, with each colour applied separately and sometimes deliberately misaligned. Many of his diptychs are also deliberately misaligned, making these pieces unique even when the subject and printing plates are reused. These subtle variations can be identified by knowledgeable appraisers.

A comprehensive catalogue raisonné of Schifano’s prints does not yet exist. However, the Archivio Mario Schifano in Rome has compiled a multi-volume catalogue of the artist’s 1960s works, with Marco Meneguzzo and Monica de Bei Schifano as editors. The Archivio itself also maintains comprehensive records of Schifano’s work and can assist in verification, including valuable information on Schifano’s collaborations with specific print studios and publishers.

Edition and Signature

Although Schifano's approach to signing and numbering prints evolved throughout his career, several trends can assist in verifying the signature. Schifano’s monotypes printed on canvas, for example, are almost exclusively signed on the back with “Schifano.” His limited edition prints, however, are typically signed in pencil on the front of the print, often in the lower right corner, in a flowing style. In the lower left, you will find the edition number written as a fraction. Excluding monotypes, Schifano’s edition sizes varied considerably, from intimate runs of 25 to larger editions of 100 or more, particularly for his more commercial works.

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Schifano's experimental printing techniques present unique conservation challenges. His preference for specific Italian commercial printing papers in the 1960s, rather than traditional art papers, means many prints from this period are particularly susceptible to degradation. The artist often used industrial screen printing inks, which can show distinctive patterns of wear over time. He also often incorporated additional materials such as perspex or found photographs, which will need special attention to keep intact - photographs, for example, are prone to silver mirroring.

The vibrancy of Schifano's characteristic bold colours, particularly his signature reds and blues, can be vulnerable to fading if exposed to direct sunlight. The fluorescent inks used in some 1970s prints have notably unstable pigments. Temperature and humidity fluctuations are often the most damaging factors affecting an art print, particularly those that combine multiple techniques and surfaces. The different materials can respond differently to environmental changes, potentially causing warping or separation of layers. Prints should be stored flat in acid-free environments, away from direct light sources. When framing, UV-protective glass and archival-quality mounting materials are essential to prevent deterioration of the diverse materials Schifano employed.

To avoid causing any damage to the surface of the print, such as tears or creases, always handle your print while wearing clean cotton gloves. Surface imperfections caused by poor handling or storage can have a significant impact on a print’s value and are often the first thing noticed by potential buyers.

For advice on how to get started with condition assessment of your Mario Schifano print, contact MyArtBroker.

The market for Schifano's prints responds strongly to renewed scholarly interest in Italian post-war art. Recent reassessments of the Arte Povera movement and its contemporaries have sparked increased international attention on Schifano's work, as the artist is credited with predicting its emergence. Major exhibitions focusing on Italian art of the 1960s and 1970s often trigger heightened market activity for his prints, but the most influential exhibitions are those dedicated to Schifano himself. The 2023 retrospective at the Gallerie d'Italia in Naples, curated by the Archivio Mario Schifano, displayed more than 50 artworks from throughout his career. 2023 was subsequently a year of high-value print sales, especially in Italy.

Italian auction houses typically achieve the strongest results for Schifano's work, particularly during spring and autumn sales in Milan and Rome. However, international interest has grown following several significant exhibitions outside Italy, including retrospectives in London and New York that highlighted his influence on Pop Art and conceptual practices - staying ahead of all Schifano publicity will help you determine when is best to sell. The websites of the main auction houses publish freely-available value trajectory reports which will also assist in identifying trends.

MyArtBroker offers advanced art tech tools to help you determine the optimal time to sell. Our MyPortfolio service features an AI-powered value indicator that provides real-time valuations of individual prints based on both public and private sales data. Combined with our complimentary valuations, we can help ensure your print achieves maximum value by selling at the perfect moment.

At MyArtBroker, our specialists provide a free market valuation for your artwork, offering a level of transparency unmatched in today’s market. In addition to our valuations, through our online Trading Floor, you can access real-time insights into works by the artist you’re looking to sell, including pieces that are most in demand, wanted, or currently for sale: allowing sellers to trust the valuation that they are provided.

Additionally, the MyPortfolio collection management service grants you free access to our comprehensive print market database. This resource allows you to review auction histories for the specific work you’re looking to sell, including hammer prices, values paid, and seller returns. In a fluctuating market, this historical data is invaluable - and often comes at a cost elsewhere - offering insights into past and current values to further inform decisions based on market timing and conditions. In addition to our specialists guidance, you have concrete data.

Our approach is tailored to align with the unique attributes of each artwork, and offer optimal results:

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Our revenue is derived from buyer commissions only, which are individually negotiated upon offer, and we aim to give the client the best return in the market place. By focusing on high-value artworks in excess of £10,000, we provide specialised care and expertise, ensuring each piece receives the attention it deserves, while simultaneously maximising returns with our clients. For works that fall below this threshold speak to the team about a recommendation, we offer market advisory free of charge. Our goal at MyArtBroker is to offer a seamless solution, setting us apart in the art market.

Advisory and Recommendations

In cases for artists and artworks, where our existing network of collectors isn’t the best fit due to value, medium or condition we collaborate with reputable partners to facilitate its sale. Carefully tailoring your artwork to the right party. This tailored approach is especially important as it considers the unique attributes of each artwork, providing sellers with the best possible outcome in today’s shifting art market. You can discuss this approach with us without charge as part of our advisory service.

Such recommendations are on a case-by-case basis, and ensures broader exposure and takes advantage of our knowledge of where a work will do best.

In addition to our live trading floor, MyArtBroker's MyPortfolio serves as a collection management system, empowering collectors to curate and oversee their prints and editions collection. This feature grants users access to our print market database, uniquely tied to our proprietary algorithm, SingularityX. This algorithm scans and analyses both public auction and private sales data to determine real time valuations of individual print works, factoring in various aspects such as condition, colour, and other factors affecting value.

Read What Powers MyArtBroker's Technology? In Conversation With Stuart Jamieson, Financial Quant to learn more about our algorithm.