Berlusconi's 'worthless' art proving a headache to heirs
The late Silvio Berlusconi's huge art collection has been mocked by one of Italy's leading art critics.
According to Vittorio Sgarbi, the collection of 25,000 paintings consists primarily of low-quality works with little to no value.
The former Italian prime minister, who passed away in June, acquired many of these paintings and sculptures through late-night telesales programs.
The management of this extensive collection has become a challenging task for his descendants.
These purchases are housed in a 3,200 sq m (34,400 sq ft) warehouse near his mansion in the vicinity of Milan. The collection comprises paintings depicting Madonnas, explicit images of nude women, and cityscapes of various cities like Paris, Naples, and Venice, as reported by La Repubblica.
However, Sgarbi expressed his lack of enthusiasm for the collection, suggesting that only "people with limited knowledge of art" might appreciate a museum displaying these works. He estimated that out of the 25,000 pieces, only about six or seven possess any artistic value.
The entire collection is roughly valued at €20 million (£17.4 million), averaging around €800 per painting. At the time of his death, Berlusconi, who had a significant impact on Italian politics from the early 1990s, had a net worth of approximately €6 billion.
In addition to this collection, Berlusconi also owned higher-quality paintings. His primary residence featured artworks by renowned artists such as the Renaissance painter Titian and the Dutch grand master Rembrandt.
Cesare Lampronti, a London-based art dealer who had a close relationship with Berlusconi for three decades, revealed that the billionaire was known for his impulsive buying habits. He mentioned that Berlusconi enjoyed purchasing portraits of women, which he often gave as gifts to friends. While in his younger years, he acquired art from galleries and dealers, later in life, he turned to TV auctions. Lampronti also noted that Berlusconi was aware of the relatively low value of many of his acquisitions.
Berlusconi's heirs are currently grappling with the challenges posed by this vast collection. The cost of maintaining the warehouse housing the art amounts to approximately €800,000 per year, according to La Repubblica. Furthermore, part of the collection has been damaged by woodworms, and in some cases, the cost of exterminating the pests exceeds the value of the paintings.
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