Afro Afro Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Afro Libio Basaldella, known as Afro, was born in Udine, Italy, on 4 March 1912.

He studied in Florence and Venice, where he obtained a diploma in painting in 1931. In 1932 he moved to Milan and then, in 1935, organized his first solo exhibition. Read the full biography

Guide to Afro Afro price quotations

Production

Afro Basaldella's artistic production is anchored to the first abstract/informal research movements after the Second World War which found fertile ground in various Italian cities, giving rise to real movements such as the MAC in the Como area, Classical Abstractionism in Florence, Forma1 in Rome and the group of eight, founded in 1952 and of which Afro was an exponent together with Emilio Vedova, Ennio Morlotti, Antonio Corpora, Renato Birolli, Mattia Moreni, Giulio Turcato and Giuseppe Santomaso

Son of art, he dedicated himself to painting since the 1930s, starting, while still very young, a figurative path that allowed him to approach the Roman school of Scipione and Mafai. Towards the end of the 1940s the transition to non-figurative painting took place thanks to contacts with the American abstract expressionist environment. In fact, his stay in New York in 1950 allowed him to begin an initially neo-cubist path which would then lead him, in the 1960s, to be one of the greatest representatives of European informal painting.

How to evaluate an Afro work

The necessary condition to be able to approach an evaluation process for a work by Afro is to be certain of its authenticity which can only be ascertained in the presence of confirmation in the form of a written certificate from the Afro Archive, in via Dei Parioli in Rome, directed by Mario Graziani.

Other characteristics that must then be considered to determine the specific historical context of the work and its technical structure are the provenance, any publications and bibliography, the technique, the year of execution, the dimensions and last but not least, the state of conservation.

Detailing the history of a work always guarantees greater commercial attractiveness, especially in the presence of origins from authoritative collections or official publications. There are three general catalogues, the first published by Dataars in 1997 and edited by Mario Graziani, the second published by Dataars/La Scaletta in 2006 dedicated to works on paper and a third published by Top Graphic in relation to serial production (multiples and prints) . Afro also participated in five Venice biennials and the second edition of Documenta in Kassel.

In the case of multiple works (printed on paper, canvas or sculpted), the print run must be considered more carefully, which indisputably indicates the number of copies produced.

Brackets and coefficient

Once the certainty of authenticity has been determined, historical data from past sales of works that share the same historical, technical and qualitative characteristics with the specimen to be evaluated must be traced. Such data can be extrapolated with an expert eye from the catalogs and price lists of auction houses but also from private and gallery sales that only the experience of the professional appraiser can know.

In light of these considerations we can identify some scales and evaluation parameters that will allow us to briefly identify the value of a work. Usually the sum of these factors is indicated with the name of coefficient which is nothing other than a numerical index expressed in points which will be multiplied by the dimensions of the work (identified in the sum of the base and height) to be evaluated. Clearly only the intervention of an expert evaluator will be able to determine whether or not the operation is valid.

Market

Afro's performance over the last ten years has been characterized by a trend of fluctuating growth, however, supported by a position of absolute prestige gained in the previous decade which also resulted in a decrease in the availability and therefore in the offer of quality works. However, the last two years have reserved a moment of new growth which for the moment remains constant, marking a record price above 500,000 euros in 2021. These assumptions indicate a market condition suitable for speculation, especially for specimens of lesser value. The works from the 1960s are the most sought after and, when proposed, meet with an unchanged market interest compared to the best periods. Starting from these considerations and the historical-cultural consistency of the artist, it is conceivable to think about short-term investments for minor works and also long-term ones for higher-level ones. On the other hand, selling is advisable especially for works with a high target price.

Values

1930s/40s (figurative period): for medium-sized works on canvas the coefficient can vary from approximately 2.0 to 3.5 points (for a 50x70 work for example the estimate could vary from 25,000 to 40,000 euros)

For works on paper about a third

1950s (neo-cubist period): for medium-sized works on canvas the coefficient can vary from approximately 4 to 5.5 points (for a 50x70 work for example the estimate could vary from 50,000 to 70,000 euros)

For works on paper about a third

1950s/60s (informal period): for medium-sized works on canvas the coefficient can vary from approximately 11 to 16 points (for a 50x70 work for example the estimate could vary from 130,000 to 200,000 euros). For works on paper about a third.

1970s: for medium-sized works on canvas the coefficient can vary from approximately 2.5 to 4 points (for a 50x70 work for example the estimate could vary from 30,000 to 50,000 euros). For works on paper about a third.

Afro Afro Biography

Afro Libio Basaldella, known as Afro, was born in Udine, Italy, on 4 March 1912.

He studied in Florence and Venice, where he obtained a diploma in painting in 1931. In 1932 he moved to Milan and then, in 1935, organized his first solo exhibition. Returning to Rome the same year, he participated in the Second Quadrennial of Rome with works inspired by the Roman school. In 1937, in Paris, he found inspiration in the art of the Impressionists. During the Second World War he taught the mosaic technique at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, also participating in the mosaic decoration of the Palazzo dell'EUR in Rome. This phase represents his transition to abstractionism.

During his stay in the United States, he came into contact with the Art Informel movement and his works were influenced by Jackson Pollock. In 1950 he had a solo exhibition at the Catherine Viviano Gallery in New York. In 1952 he joined the Gruppo degli Otto, with which he exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 1956, winning the prize for best Italian painter. In 1958 he painted a large-scale mural for the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. In 1960 he received the Guggenheim Prize in New York and in 1971 the President of the Republic Prize at the Accademia di San Luca in Rome. He taught painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence until 1973. Afro died on 24 July 1976 in Zurich.