Meet the Specialist

What do you do at Bonhams?

I am the Junior Specialist for Old Master Paintings and 19th Century Art based at Bonhams Paris. We consistently hold auctions for these categories throughout the year at our New Bond Street and Knightsbridge locations.

Where are you from? And what inspired you to go into the art world? 

I am Italian. I was born and spent my childhood in Turin, although later I lived all over Italy and Europe. My parents first introduced me to the industry – they have always been passionate about antiques and would take me to flea markets such as the famous Balon in Turin from a very young age. It was my History of Art teacher at high school, however, who opened my eyes to painting. I soaked up lessons of the great Italian artists such as Giotto, Michelangelo, and Caravaggio with great enthusiasm.

My growing curiosity in the field of Old Master and 19th Century Paintings and Drawings brought me to Paris in 2013, where I completed an internship in the Italian drawings Documentation Department at the Louvre Museum. I then decided to stay in this beautiful city and pursue my studies here. In 2020, I completed my PhD at EPHE here in the city.

What was your first job? 

My very first job was an internship at Christie's in Milan in 2011. There I realised that working in the art world would be my dream as it would allow me to discourse passionate collectors and experts while discovering treasures.

One of my first experiences in the art world after my move to Paris was working with Monsieur Pierre Rosenberg for the Mariette Association. I spent four years researching the Italian drawings belonging to Pierre Jean Mariette’s celebrated collection, which were published in four volumes by Somogy in 2019.

 Name one of your triumphs.

It was a great triumph to see my name written next to Monsieur Pierre Rosenberg’s in the volumes dedicated to the Italian drawings in the Pierre Jean Mariette collection. I am very proud to have reconstituted the famous album of Architectural drawings by Renaissance artists such as Bramante, Antonio and Giuliano da Sangallo that belonged to Giorgio Vasari and Pierre Jean Mariette and was sold in 1798 to the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, where it was dismembered.

What has changed in the business since you first started? 

The market has become increasingly selective: collectors in this field are now looking for high quality paintings. Previously neglected female artists are now rightfully being rediscovered and works by Artemisia Gentileschi and Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, to name a couple, have achieved record prices at auction. Today's collectors show a strong passion for gold grounds and 18th century French paintings, such as works by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, rather than paintings in the Baroque style.

What is your strength as a specialist? 

My passion and curiosity are probably my greatest strengths, though being patient and meticulous are just as important!

Do you have a hidden talent? 

I love to cook, from more traditional Italian dishes like homemade pizza to new culinary experiments. My colleagues really enjoy my Spaghetti alla carbonara which I sometimes make for lunch at the office.

During lockdown I started to make my own fresh cheese and homemade yoghurt, which was quite an experience...

Which work of art has changed your life?

When you love art it is difficult to tell which work is your favourite, but I still remember the strong emotion I felt when I first saw Leonardo da Vinci's astonishing Landscape No. 8  in the Uffizi Galleries in Florence.

Stefania Lumetta is a junior specialist for Old Master Paintings and 19th Century Art, based at Bonhams Paris. She can be reached at stefania.lumetta@bonhams.com.

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