Valerio ADAMI

Do you have a piece by Valerio Adami in your possession and would like to know its value? Our Experts will carry out a free appraisal of your piece, provide you with an estimate of the market price, and then help you to sell at the best possible price.

Status, price and estimation of the artist Valerio Adami

Price of a painting by Adami: 4,000 – 70,000 €.

Estimate of a drawing or watercolour by the artist at auction: 800 – 20,000€.

Artist’s status for a print: 50 – 800€.

If you would like to have a painting appraised, our painting experts are at your disposal for a free appraisal.

Academic training

Valerio Adami is an Italian painter born on March 17, 1935 in Bologna who lives and works between Paris, Monte-Carlo and Meina.

He trained in the studio of Felice Carena, then entered as a student at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan until 1955. From then on, he made his first trip to Paris where he met the painters Wilfredo Lam and Roberto Matta who would profoundly influence his work.

He had his first exhibition in 1957 in Milan, where his first paintings are still marked by expressionism. From then on, he continued to travel back and forth between Paris and Milan, and maintained close relations with the artists of the Parisian avant-garde movement.

Travel and fame

Valerio Adami travels all over the world and drew his inspiration from trips to South America, Cuba and Mexico. He was quick to make his mark on the international scene and asserted himself as one of the representatives of the Nouvelle Figuration movement. In 1970, the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris dedicated a retrospective to him.

In the 1970s, he devoted his painting to depicting the thinkers, writers and celebrities of his time. The 1980s were dedicated to ensemble paintings, monuments in which he evoked his reflections on love and desire. Among other things, he carried out public commissions for the Théâtre du Châtelet (1989) and the Gare d’Austerlitz train station (1992).

Numerous famous authors and philosophers have dedicated studies to him – Jacques Derrida, Gilles Deleuze and Jean-François Lyotard have all taken an interest in him, which is a credit to his reputation.

Consecration and Figuration Libre

Valerio Adami’s painting is characterised by flat tones of colour which, although he claims a more classical ancient heritage, are more reminiscent of comic strips or stained-glass windows. In fact, the artist identifies bright colours with broad black contours and his canvases sometimes include inscriptions that comment on the subject of the work.

This is the case of O Bella bionda sei come l’onda (1935), which was sold for 50,600 euros by Christie’s (Milan, 27 November 2007). The works are most often lyrically inspired, also drawing on the artist’s many travels. One example is Carnets de voyage, a work that was sold for 64,569 euros by Christie’s (London, 15 October 2010).

Today, Adami is represented by the most famous art galleries, such as the Templon Gallery in Paris. He continues his artistic experiments and continues to be highly appreciated by the art market.

Recognising Valerio Adami’s signature

Like many artists, Adami did not sign all of his works. However, you will find below an example of the signatures to give you an idea. Variations of these signatures do exist, do not hesitate to contact one of our experts to formally authenticate a signature.

Appraising and selling a piece by Valerio Adami

If you own a piece by Valerio Adami or any other object, ask for a free estimate via our online form.

You will then be contacted by a member of our team of experts and auctioneers to give you an independent view of the market price of your piece. In the context of a possible sale, our specialists will also advise you on the different options available to sell your work at the best price.