AUCTION 117 | NATIVITY SCENE SCULPTURES – PORCELAIN, OLD MASTERS, AND 19TH CENTURY PAINTINGS
NAPLES, NOVEMBER 27, 2025, AT 4:00 PM (LIVE AND IN-PERSON)
EXHIBITION FROM NOVEMBER 19 TO THE AUCTION DATE DAILY FROM 10:00 AM TO 6:30 PM (EXCEPT SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23) BLINDARTE NAPLES - VIA CAIO DUILIO 10
Starting with this auction season, BLINDARTE is embarking on a greener path. Those who have received our new catalogs will undoubtedly have noticed the substantial reduction in paper consumption. We have decided to undertake a partial digital transformation to promote respect for the environment, fully in line with the recent statements of the mayor of Bacoli, Josi Gerardo Della Ragione, one of the winners of the GreenCare Award 2025. We firmly believe that respect for the environment is more than ever a priority today, and that everyone must contribute, even in their own small way, including by raising awareness among others, to a more effective and widespread defense of our planet.
The catalogs are complete only online, while the paper catalog has been selected, unfortunately excluding some of the most significant works, which, for space reasons, will only be visible online. This does not diminish the importance of our auction, which boasts a highly refined selection of works from some of the most respected private collections among collectors. Rather, it is a decision dictated by our partial green transition, which we hope will be completed in the upcoming auctions. Auction 117 of Nativity Scene Sculptures, Porcelains, Old Masters, and 19th-Century Paintings will take place on Thursday, November 27th at 4:00 PM at Blindarte in Naples. The catalog opens with a section dedicated to splendid 18th-century Neapolitan nativity scene art: a refined selection of nativity scene sculptures from the historic Neapolitan Laino and Catello collections will be auctioned. Of particular note is the beautiful Figure of an Oriental, attributed to Lorenzo Mosca (estimate €6,000-7,000). Among the antique porcelains, a beautiful collection of earthenware plates from the Royal Ferdinand Factory, part of a service decorated with beautiful and detailed views of unusual Neapolitan sites, and a beautiful pair of commemorative vases with figures of the Bourbon Royals (estimate €2,000-3,000).
The section dedicated to 19th-century paintings features works by Attilio Pratella, "Fishermen at Mergellina" (estimate €5,000-6,000), Giuseppe Laezza, "Return from the Market" (estimate €4,000-5,000), and Vincenzo Irolli, "Girl on a Pillow" (estimate €12,000-15,000), a portrait the painter dedicated to the daughter of a dear family friend. Of great collector's interest is the precious watercolor with silk embroidery depicting the scene of the poignant Farewell of Her Majesty Caroline Murat to her children (estimate €6,000-8,000).
The catalogue concludes with a section presenting a diverse selection of works from diverse origins, styles, and subjects. Particularly powerful and fascinating is Mattia Preti's Saint Paul the Hermit (estimate €100,000-120,000), accompanied by a beautiful critical note by Keith Sciberras. Among the secular works, the splendid Flower Compositions by Paolo Porpora (estimate €50,000-60,000), a painter rarely seen on the market, is particularly noteworthy. The fascinating Healing of Saint Agatha, by an unknown Neapolitan painter from the first half of the 17th century, will certainly arouse great interest among collectors due to its evident stylistic affinities with Caravaggio's works. This work will stimulate further investigation by scholars, potentially leading to intriguing discoveries regarding its attribution. Of interest are the two significant canvases by Giuseppe Volo (Est. €25,000-35,000), published and exhibited at the exhibition “Still Life in Italy” held at the Palazzo Reale in Naples in the 1960s.
Worthy of note is the beautiful signed painting by Andrea de Lione Jacob's Dream (Est. €25,000-30,000) and the important gold-ground panel from the first half of the 16th century Lamentation over the Dead Christ (Est. €20,000-25,000), attributed to Giuseppe Caiazzo da Sparano. Finally, an exceptional and rare historical document is the painting attributed to Michele Foschini Presentation of a Royal Galley to the young Charles of Bourbon (Est. €12,000-15,000).
