# Mario Sironi artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/mario-sironi/
Profile generated: 2026-05-02T08:46:19.210Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1885-05-12
- Death date: 1961-08-13
- Nationality: Italian
- Movements: Italian Modernism
- Common media: Oil painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Lithography, Illustration, Glass painting, Stage set design, Graphic arts

## About Mario Sironi

Mario Sironi (1885–1961) was an Italian Modernist artist whose practice spanned painting, sculpture, illustration, graphic arts, architecture, and stage design. Born in Sassari, Sardinia, he became one of the most distinctive figures of twentieth-century Italian art. His paintings are recognized for their somber tonalities and monumental, immobile forms that convey a powerful sense of stillness and gravity. Active from approximately 1900 until his death in Milan in 1961, Sironi worked across an unusually broad range of media, including oil painting, drawing, lithography, glass painting, and set design. His work is held in major international collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate in London. Sironi's contributions to Italian modernism encompass both fine art and applied design, making him a complex figure whose output crosses conventional boundaries between painting, sculpture, and decorative arts.

## Common works and media

Sironi produced oil paintings, tempera works, drawings in ink, charcoal, and pencil, lithographic prints, book and editorial illustrations, glass paintings, stage set designs, sculptures, and graphic works. Common subjects include urban landscapes, allegorical and figural compositions, and still lifes. His works range from small-scale works on paper and prints to large canvases and site-specific architectural commissions.

## Market and appraisal context

Mario Sironi has a deep and well-documented secondary-market presence, with 949 recorded auction lots of which 572 carry realized prices. Auction activity spans from October 1990 through April 2026, indicating sustained and ongoing demand across more than three decades. The price distribution is wide: recorded results range from €20 at the low end to €3,910,000 at the high end, with a median of €3,800 and an interquartile range of €1,920–€8,680. This dispersion reflects Sironi's exceptionally broad output across media, from small-scale drawings and prints to major oil paintings and large-format preparatory cartoons. Liquidity has increased in recent years, with 82 priced lots in the trailing twelve months versus 61 in the prior period. The top ten auction houses by frequency include Christie's, Sotheby's, and Dorotheum at the international tier, alongside a strong Italian specialist cohort of Finarte, Il Ponte, Cambi, Pananti, Bertolami, and Aste Bolaffi. Recent comparable results (2024–2026) show works on paper and small compositions typically realizing €360–€3,100, mid-range composizione drawings and paintings from the 1940s reaching €9,500–€24,000, and significant preparatory works such as the Ca' Foscari fresco cartoon achieving €90,000. The upper tier—important oils and large-scale works handled by Christie's and Sotheby's—accounts for the multi-million-euro ceiling. The Italian house dominance means pricing is primarily denominated in EUR, with occasional USD results from houses like Los Angeles Modern Auctions.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Mario Sironi has a deep and well-documented secondary-market presence, with 949 recorded auction lots of which 572 carry realized prices. Auction activity spans from October 1990 through April 2026, indicating sustained and ongoing demand across more than three decades. The price distribution is wide: recorded results range from €20 at the low end to €3,910,000 at the high end, with a median of €3,800 and an interquartile range of €1,920–€8,680. This dispersion reflects Sironi's exceptionally broad output across media, from small-scale drawings and prints to major oil paintings and large-format preparatory cartoons. Liquidity has increased in recent years, with 82 priced lots in the trailing twelve months versus 61 in the prior period. The top ten auction houses by frequency include Christie's, Sotheby's, and Dorotheum at the international tier, alongside a strong Italian specialist cohort of Finarte, Il Ponte, Cambi, Pananti, Bertolami, and Aste Bolaffi. Recent comparable results (2024–2026) show works on paper and small compositions typically realizing €360–€3,100, mid-range composizione drawings and paintings from the 1940s reaching €9,500–€24,000, and significant preparatory works such as the Ca' Foscari fresco cartoon achieving €90,000. The upper tier—important oils and large-scale works handled by Christie's and Sotheby's—accounts for the multi-million-euro ceiling. The Italian house dominance means pricing is primarily denominated in EUR, with occasional USD results from houses like Los Angeles Modern Auctions.

### Appraisal notes

An appraisal of a Mario Sironi work should begin by identifying the specific medium, dimensions, date of execution, and whether the work belongs to a recognized period (e.g., the urban landscape series of the 1920s, the allegorical compositions of the 1930s–1940s, or late-career works from the 1950s). Photographs should be evaluated for signature presence and placement, as at least one recent lot was flagged with an apocryphal signature. Condition reports are critical: works on paper are common in Sironi's auction record and condition varies significantly. Provenance should be traced, especially for works originating from Italian private collections or with exhibition history. The auction record set of 572 priced lots provides a substantial comparable pool, but appraisers should filter comparables by medium (oil vs. drawing vs. print), scale, and period to arrive at a defensible estimate. Large-scale oils and fresco cartoons occupy a different price tier entirely from works on paper. Edition details apply to lithographic prints. The involvement of major houses (Christie's, Sotheby's) for top-tier works and regional Italian houses for mid-range material means the choice of comparable sources should match the caliber and scale of the subject work.

### Valuation factors

- [object Object]
- [object Object]
- [object Object]
- [object Object]
- [object Object]
- [object Object]
- [object Object]

### Collector notes



### Market caveats

- The €3,910,000 maximum represents the extreme high end for museum-quality oils at major international houses; the median of €3,800 and the broad interquartile range (€1,920–€8,680) are more representative of the typical auction experience for works on paper and mid-tier paintings.
- Sironi worked across an unusually wide range of media and formats; price comparisons are only meaningful when limited to the same medium, approximate scale, and period.
- At least one recent lot was flagged with an apocryphal signature. Authentication through scholarly sources, the catalogue raisonné, or a recognized Sironi expert is essential before purchase or appraisal.
- The auction record is heavily concentrated in Italian houses pricing in EUR; USD and GBP results are less common and may not fully represent the artist's international market depth.
- Sironi's political associations with Italian Fascism may affect institutional demand and exhibition eligibility in certain markets, which can indirectly influence long-term value trajectory.
- Recent lot titles often lack medium, dimensions, and detailed catalogue notes, making direct comparison difficult without accessing full lot descriptions.

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/mario-sironi/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Invaluable / Finarte: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-il-primario-e-inutile-non-ci-si-arriva-ce-ne-vorrebbe-un-altro-1920s-82-c-c3309aa82c
- Invaluable / Colasanti Casa d'Aste: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-sassari-1885-milano-1961-129-c-59537166e3
- Invaluable / Accademia Fine Art: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-1885-1961-composizione-1951-ca-43-c-bb850dd62b
- Invaluable / Felima Art Casa D'Aste: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-figura-1931-38-c-11e1e11602
- Invaluable / Los Angeles Modern Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-seated-nude-224-c-d353e044f3
- Invaluable / Pananti Casa D'Aste: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-sassari-1885-milano-1961-composizione-meta-anni-40-269-c-7560b53fd2
- Invaluable / Pananti Casa D'Aste: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-sassari-1885-milano-1961-composizione-con-figure-250-c-34fd2343d4
- Invaluable / Pananti Casa D'Aste: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-sassari-1885-milano-1961-figura-246-c-51a45b5cb1
- Invaluable / Pananti Casa D'Aste: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-sassari-1885-milano-1961-centauro-245-c-9270c46f41
- Invaluable / Pananti Casa D'Aste: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-sassari-1885-milano-1961-cane-sanitario-243-c-cd05a88100
- Invaluable / Pananti Casa D'Aste: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-sassari-1885-milano-1961-studi-di-figure-fronte-e-retro-238-c-25d05b1a56
- Invaluable / Pananti Casa D'Aste: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-sassari-1885-milano-1961-figure-237-c-3454f6cc8d
- Invaluable / Pananti Casa D'Aste: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-sassari-1885-milano-1961-paesaggio-224-c-b7603bd314
- Invaluable / Pananti Casa D'Aste: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-sassari-1885-milano-1961-senza-titolo-214-c-234f6e22da
- Invaluable / Casa d'aste ARCADIA: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-mario-sironi-tempio-pausania-1885-milan-1961-in-the-fields-1926-171-c-17ee1f03b4

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. This page draws on museum collection records from MoMA and Tate, library authority files from the Library of Congress and VIAF, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, Wikidata, and public auction data.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50025579
- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/254343
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/19686/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q643778
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Sironi
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/5455
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/mario-sironi-1947
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500012403