Compizione Azzurra © Piero Dorazio 1989
Piero Dorazio
27 works
Key Takeaways
Piero Dorazio's prints have demonstrated notable market growth since 2022, with individual works typically fetching between £900 and £2,000. His most valuable period is the early 1970s, with examples of his interwoven band compositions from 1974 achieving over £3,500. The record for a Dorazio print was set in 2024 when Senza Titolo (1974) sold for £4,659 at Wannenes in Milan. Authentication requires thorough examination of print studio stamps, particularly from Stamperia 2RC in Rome and Marlborough Graphics in New York, along with reference to the Archivio Piero Dorazio in Milan. His prints are technically complex, featuring multiple colour passes that create distinctive optical effects, making condition paramount to value. Recent market trends show particular strength in Italy, with nine of his top 10 print sales occurring since 2022, suggesting strong investment potential for collectors.
Piero Dorazio created intricate patterns of intersecting colours that earned him recognition as a significant figure in post-war Italian abstraction. His prints capture the same careful attention to chromatic relationships that characterised his paintings, featuring layered networks of lines, shapes, and colours that create subtle optical effects. This guide provides essential information about navigating the market for Dorazio's prints, including insights into valuation, authentication, and effective selling approaches.
Dorazio began creating prints in the 1940s, during Italy's post-war reconstruction period. His collaborations with print studios in Rome and Paris allowed him to experiment with different techniques, from early lithographs to the precise screenprints that would become his trademark. Working primarily with Stamperia 2RC in Rome throughout the 1960s and 70s, he developed innovative methods for layering colours that created an illusion of transparency and movement. His most successful prints emerged from this period, when he mastered the technical challenge of perfectly registering multiple colour passes to achieve his characteristic latticed patterns.
How Much Do Piero Dorazio Prints Sell For?
Piero Dorazio prints have seen significant value increase since 2022, with individual works now typically achieving between £900 and £2,000 at auction. His most sought-after pieces are those from the early 1970s, when his command of geometric abstraction reached its peak, and later works from the early 1990s. The record price for a Dorazio print was set in 2024 when an untitled print, Senza Titolo (1974), featuring his characteristic interwoven bands of colour, sold for £4,659 at Wannenes in Milan.
Dorazio’s compositions featuring interwoven bands of colour are typically his most popular - many of which are multiples of felt collage originals. 2022 saw two untitled examples from 1974 sell for over £3,500 each, and another for over £2,500. These recent sales demonstrate the strong popularity of both this period in Dorazio’s career and this particular style, and indicates his enduring success on the Italian market.
Prints featuring kites of colour, such as those from Dorazio’s La Ribambelle Des Gobelins series (1992), prove continually popular as mid-tier prints. Although complete collections of this series in particular have sold for £1,269 as recently as 2019, individual prints in the same style have sold for more in recent years. In 2022, for example, Senza Titolo (1989/90) sold for £2,742.
Dorazio’s more geometrically-focused pieces from the 1990s typically achieve between £800 and £1,200. These works often feature translucent shapes within shapes, creating gradients of colour. Europa Unita, Italia (1991), featuring coloured gradients of circles, sold in 2019 for £937, while variations on the triangular gradients of Wigwam (1991) have achieved as much as £1,500.
The market shows particular strength in Italy, where Dorazio's connection to the country's post-war Abstract Art movement continues to resonate with collectors. The steady appreciation of print value in the past five years, however, indicates strong investment potential for collectors and promising returns for sellers.
How Do You Authenticate A Piero Dorazio Print?
Authentication of a Dorazio print requires careful examination of both physical characteristics and documentary evidence. Every detail of provenance helps establish legitimacy - from certificates of authenticity and gallery sales receipts to exhibition history. Dorazio maintained strong relationships with specific print workshops and publishers, particularly Stamperia 2RC in Rome and Marlborough Graphics in New York, whose distinctive stamps and markings can help verify authenticity.
The physical analysis of prints should focus on paper quality, printing technique, and colour application. Dorazio typically used high-grade wove papers, often from Italian manufacturers, or soft cloth, and worked primarily with lithography, etching, and screenprinting. The precise registration of colours and the clarity of geometric patterns are crucial indicators of authentic works.
While no definitive catalogue raisonné exists specifically for Dorazio's prints, several comprehensive publications document his work. The Archivio Piero Dorazio maintains extensive records, both online and at their office in Milan, and can assist in verification. Gallery catalogues from his major exhibitions, such as the Galleria Dello Scudo in Rome, provide valuable reference points for authentication.
Edition and Signature
Dorazio's signature appears consistently in pencil, typically in the lower right corner of his prints, often accompanied by the year of creation. His signature style remained remarkably stable throughout his career, characterised by clear, uppercase, measured lettering. Edition numbers usually appear in the lower left, written as fractions. In some cases, including those record-breaking prints made from original collage works, Dorazio’s signature and edition numbers appear on the reverse. His print editions generally ranged from 50 to 100, though some special series were limited to as few as 25 impressions.
Artist's proofs, marked "P.A." (prova d'artiste), are particularly valued by collectors and can command premium prices. Dorazio often created variant impressions with subtle colour differences, sometimes given slightly different titles. These variations, when documented, can be harder to authenticate; however, when authentication is confirmed, these differences can enhance both authenticity and value.
Browse Piero Dorazio prints on the Trading Floor and find out more about the print market growth on the MAB100 Print Index.
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Has Your Piero Dorazio Print Been Kept In Good Condition?
The preservation of Dorazio's prints requires particular attention due to his sometimes subtle use of colour layering and precise geometric patterns. His prints are notable for their intense, saturated colours achieved through multiple printing passes. This technical complexity makes them especially susceptible to certain types of deterioration, with gentle colour variations fading over time if left exposed to direct light. The precise edges of his geometric forms must remain crisp and well-defined, as any blurring or bleeding can significantly impact both aesthetic appeal and value.
The papers Dorazio favoured, primarily Italian wove papers, are generally stable but can be vulnerable to light damage and environmental fluctuations. Prints produced on soft cloth, however, may be susceptible to fraying or loosening of fibres if not kept flat and protected. For optimal preservation, prints should be stored in acid-free environments, away from direct sunlight and fluctuating humidity. If framing is desired, UV-protective glass and acid-free mounting materials are essential. Regular condition assessments by qualified conservators can help prevent deterioration and maintain value.
For advice on how to get started with condition assessment of your Piero Dorazio print, contact MyArtBroker.
When Is The Best Time To Sell My Piero Dorazio Print?
The resurgence of interest in post-war Italian abstraction has stirred renewed interest in Dorazio prints. Value has grown steadily in recent years, with nine out of the top 10 highest-value print sales occurring from 2022 onwards. His market demonstrates particular strength during major exhibitions focusing on Dorazio’s work or European geometric abstraction and Italian Modernism more broadly. The inclusion of Dorazio’s work in the 2022 Art Gèneve, and the 2023 exhibition at the Galleria Dello Scudo, are both thought to have stimulated the European market.
The surge in sales values in 2022 also coincided with the record sale of the original painting Troppo Segreto (1961) for £564,582. In the same year, there were two other sales of original works for over £300,000, and in 2024, two more sales of over £250,000. Although these original oil paintings have different subject matter to Dorazio’s printed works, these trends demonstrate the power of significant sales across both sides of the market.
The strongest results often coincide with themed auctions in Italy and Germany, particularly those featuring works from the Italian arte programmata movement. The spring and autumn sales typically achieve the highest prices, benefiting from increased collector activity during these seasons. Monitoring sales results and tracking market patterns through auction house websites can provide valuable and timely insight into optimal timing. These reports are freely available, ensuring sellers of Dorazio prints can act quickly.
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.
Ways to Sell with MyArtBroker
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:
How a Private Sale Works
Unlike peer-to-peer platforms, which lack specialised expertise, authenticity guarantees, and legal infrastructure for high-value sales, MyArtBroker operates through private sales ensuring a secure and seamless transaction process. We charge sellers 0% to sell, and take a small commission from our buyers, absorbing essential aspects including insurance, shipping, and marketing - at no extra cost to the seller. There is no magic to it, we’re a lean specialised business with less overheads than traditional models meaning we can do better for our clients.
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.
Piero Dorazio Collection Management With MyPortfolio
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.
