# Emilio Greco artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/emilio-greco/
Profile generated: 2026-05-07T04:58:09.575Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1913-10-11
- Death date: 1995-04-04
- Nationality: Italian
- Common media: sculpture (bronze, marble, terracotta), lithography, painting, drawing

## About Emilio Greco

Emilio Greco (1913–1995) was an Italian sculptor, painter, lithographer, and illustrator born in Catania, Sicily. He completed his formal artistic training in 1934 and became best known for figurative sculptures that drew on classical traditions while engaging with twentieth-century concerns about the human form. Over a career spanning roughly six decades, Greco produced bronze and marble statues, portrait busts, lithographs, and drawings. His work is held in major international museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate in London. Greco also taught at art academies in Europe between the 1950s and 1970s, influencing a generation of post-war sculptors. Collectors today most often encounter his work through bronze editions, portrait heads, and figurative sculptures that appear at auction houses worldwide.

## Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers most commonly encounter Emilio Greco bronzes—standing female figures, seated nudes, portrait heads, and small-scale maquettes—often produced in numbered editions. His printed output includes lithographs and etchings, frequently figurative in subject. Paintings and drawings on paper also appear, though less frequently at auction. Monumental public sculptures and commissions represent a smaller but culturally significant portion of his output.

## Market and appraisal context

Emilio Greco's secondary market is well established, with 388 recorded auction lots dating from January 2001 through March 2026 and 209 of those carrying realized prices. The price distribution is wide but characteristic of a prolific post-war sculptor who worked across multiple media: the median price sits at approximately €420, the 25th percentile at €150, and the 75th percentile at €1,680, while the ceiling reaches €850,000 for significant large-scale bronzes. Liquidity is steady—35 lots appeared in the most recent twelve months compared with 37 in the prior period—indicating consistent collector demand without oversaturation. Ten named auction houses account for the bulk of turnover, including Christie's, Sotheby's, and Bonhams at the top tier, alongside specialist Italian houses such as Finarte, Finarte Roma, ArtLaRosa, and Benedetto Trionfante. Recent lots confirm that small etchings and lithographs trade in the €50–€400 range, mid-scale bronzes and portrait heads between €300 and €3,500, and important sculptures at substantially higher levels. Works appear in EUR, USD, CAD, AUD, and JPY, reflecting genuinely international distribution.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Emilio Greco's secondary market is well established, with 388 recorded auction lots dating from January 2001 through March 2026 and 209 of those carrying realized prices. The price distribution is wide but characteristic of a prolific post-war sculptor who worked across multiple media: the median price sits at approximately €420, the 25th percentile at €150, and the 75th percentile at €1,680, while the ceiling reaches €850,000 for significant large-scale bronzes. Liquidity is steady—35 lots appeared in the most recent twelve months compared with 37 in the prior period—indicating consistent collector demand without oversaturation. Ten named auction houses account for the bulk of turnover, including Christie's, Sotheby's, and Bonhams at the top tier, alongside specialist Italian houses such as Finarte, Finarte Roma, ArtLaRosa, and Benedetto Trionfante. Recent lots confirm that small etchings and lithographs trade in the €50–€400 range, mid-scale bronzes and portrait heads between €300 and €3,500, and important sculptures at substantially higher levels. Works appear in EUR, USD, CAD, AUD, and JPY, reflecting genuinely international distribution.

### Appraisal notes

An Appraisily appraisal for an Emilio Greco work would combine these auction records with detailed photographs, measured dimensions, medium identification (bronze, marble, terracotta, lithograph, drawing), signature or foundry marks, edition number and size, condition report (especially patina integrity for bronzes), and documented provenance. Comparable lots are selected by matching medium, scale, date range, and subject—standing female nudes and portrait heads form the densest comparable pool. The wide price dispersion means that correctly classifying a work's tier (print versus small bronze versus monumental sculpture) is the single most consequential step in arriving at a defensible estimate. Provenance linking a piece to a known exhibition, museum loan, or catalogue raisonné entry can materially shift its position within the observed range.

### Valuation factors

- Medium and scale: large bronze sculptures and monumental works command the highest values; prints and works on paper form the lower tier
- Edition and foundry marks: confirmed edition numbers, foundry stamps (e.g., Nicci, Fonderia Ferdinando Marinelli), and signed bases materially affect value
- Provenance and exhibition history: works with documented museum exhibition, gallery provenance, or catalogue raisonné entries are more significant
- Condition: patina condition, surface integrity, and structural soundness are critical for bronze; foxing, fading, and paper quality matter for prints and drawings
- Subject and period: standing female nudes and portrait heads from the 1950s–1970s appear most frequently and provide the densest comparable pool
- Authenticity confirmation: the artist's prolific output across multiple media increases the importance of catalogue raisonné verification or expert examination

### Collector notes

- Greco's auction market offers accessible entry points: unsigned or late etchings and lithographs frequently sell below €200, while signed numbered prints in good condition typically trade between €150 and €500. Small-to-mid-scale bronzes (portrait heads, maquettes, seated figures) in the €500–€5,000 range represent the most actively traded segment. Collectors seeking investment-grade material should focus on larger-scale bronzes with clear provenance, documented edition numbers, and undamaged patina—these are the lots that approach or exceed the upper quartile. Buyers should be aware that Greco produced multiples in several editions and sizes; confirming which edition a piece belongs to is essential before purchase. Works appearing at major houses (Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams) tend to carry fuller condition reports and cataloguing, which aids future resale. The international spread of auction houses handling Greco—Italian, British, North American, Australian, and Japanese—means liquidity is not dependent on a single market.

### Market caveats

- Price data is drawn from the Appraisily auction-record index and reflects hammer or realized prices as reported by contributing auction houses; buyer's premiums are not included unless embedded in the source record.
- The observed price range (€5–€850,000) reflects the full breadth of Greco's output across media and scale; no single work typifies the entire range, and estimates must be medium- and scale-specific.
- Some recent lots carry null realized prices (unsold or result not yet reported), which may understate the number of active offerings.
- Currency conversion is not applied; EUR, USD, CAD, AUD, and JPY results are reported in their original currencies, and cross-currency comparisons should account for exchange-rate timing.
- Attribution should be confirmed through catalogue raisonné or expert examination, as the artist's prolific output across multiple media increases the likelihood of misattributed works.

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/emilio-greco/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-emilio-greco-1913-1995-portrait-1954-14-c-ffd413d826

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine structured identity research from library authorities, museum records, and biographical databases with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Emilio Greco, this page draws on sources including the Library of Congress, VIAF, RKD, MoMA, and Tate.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81043040
- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/33507
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/93595607/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2243408
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/49352
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/emilio-greco-1211