Italian, b. 1933
Franco Fontana
108results on record
55%sell-through
$1,748median result (USD, incl. premium; 34% observed, 66% estimated from hammer)
$23,210 est.record in our coverage
Drawn from 108 recorded results (64 sold · 44 passed) across 14 auction houses, 1999–2026. What we cover
Median sold price by year typical estimate range median result USD, incl. premium; 34% observed, 66% estimated from hammer method · log scale
Where does a value land in this market?
The same figure also answers the seller's question: which house clears a work like this, and for how much — expected proceeds by house, from the sell-through the rest of this page is built on.
Every sold result for this market, low to high (log scale) — the dashed line is the median. Enter a value to see where it lands.
By medium where medium is recorded or stated in the catalog line
| Medium | Results | Sell-through | Median result (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| photography | 65 | 50% | $1,749 |
| prints | 23 | 57% | $1,918 |
| other | 4 | 50% | $4,601 |
Medium is recorded for 92 of 108 results (85%) — rows above cover that subset; the rest of the record is in the full ledger below.
Compared with Man Ray Franco Fontana Man Ray
| Metric | Franco Fontana | Man Ray |
|---|---|---|
| Median result | $1,748 | $8,400 |
| Record price | $23,210 est. | $5,877,000 |
| Results on record | 108 | 2,359 |
| Years active at auction | 1999–2026 | 1998–2026 |
Related artists: Man RayAndré KertészMario GiacomelliHelmut Newton
Market strength liquidity score, 0–100 · method
68/ 100
- Sell-through55%
- Meets estimate72%
- Market depth108 results
How readily and near-estimate this market clears — sell-through, estimate reliability, and depth, blended into one score. "Meets estimate" is the share of sold lots hammering at or above the low estimate, over catalogs that print a real appraisal: a house whose printed low is a starting bid would meet its estimate on every lot, so those lots are excluded from this term only — their prices and outcomes still count in the other two. Method →
Where this artist sells best
| House | Results | Sell-through | Median | vs. estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finarte | 43 | 79% | $1,991 | 1.13× |
| Kruso Art | 6 | 83% | $651 | 0.63× |
| Lempertz | 5 | 60% | $1,261 | — |
| Galerie Bassenge | 3 | — | $1,829 | — |
| Viscontea auction house | 32 | 9% | $1,015 | 0.56× |
| Heritage Auctions | 4 | 75% | $625 | — |
| Rago | 2 | 100% | $768 | — |
| Artcurial | 2 | — | $6,758 | 0.94× |
| Grisebach | 2 | — | $2,377 | — |
| Sotheby's | 2 | 100% | $3,277 | 1.07× |
| Christie's | 2 | — | $2,463 | — |
| Dorotheum | 2 | 100% | $1,176 | — |
| Bonhams | 2 | 50% | $255 | 0.40× |
| Itineris Auction House | 1 | 0% | — | — |
The same artist across every house we cover — hammer-vs-estimate side by side. A dash in the estimate column can mean withheld rather than unpublished: the house publishes no hammer price, or its printed low is a starting bid rather than an appraisal. Method →
Prices realized 108 recorded lots — sold, passed, and upcoming — results in USD incl. premium; est. marks a premium estimated from the house's schedule ✓ Includes 44 passed lots
| Date | Lot | Medium | vs. estimate | Estimate USD | Result USD, incl. premium | House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $19, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2026·05 | Piscina 1; Ornament (two works) | $700–$900 | Rago | |||
| 2026·05 | Untitled (two works) | $1,000–$2,000 | Rago | |||
| 2026·04 | People - Houston, 1985 | $2,901–$4,062 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·04 | Sicilia, Donnafugata, 2007 | $1,160–$1,741 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·04 | Correggio, 2004 | $1,160–$1,741 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·04 | Paesaggio, 1987 | $2,901–$4,062 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·04 | Paesaggio urbano, Cetraro, 1985 | $1,160–$1,741 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·04 | Untitled (Landscape), 1978 | $696–$928 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·04 | Baia delle Zagare, 1975 | $696–$928 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·04 | Paesaggio 1975 | $696–$928 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·04 | Phoenix, 1979 | $2,901–$4,062 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·04 | Untiled (Landscape), 1970s | $696–$928 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·04 | Route 66 - Strand Oklahoma, 2001 | $2,901–$4,062 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·01 | Palazzo della Civiltà, EUR, 1980s | $1,748–$2,913 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·01 | Untitled, 1971 | $699–$932 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·01 | San Francisco, 1979 | $583–$816 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·01 | Autostrada del Sole, 1975 | $699–$932 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·01 | Untitled (Landscape), 1970s | $699–$932 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·01 | Untitled (Landscape), 1970s | $699–$932 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·01 | Untitled (Landscape), 1970s | $699–$932 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·01 | Landscape, 1977 | $699–$932 | Finarte | |||
| 2026·01 | Paesaggio, Lucania, 1975 | $699–$932 | Finarte | |||
| 2025·07 | "Phoenix, 1979" | $879–$1,172 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2025·07 | "People, New York, 1999" | $2,578–$3,281 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2025·07 | "Landscape, 1975" | $879–$1,172 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2025·07 | "Puglia, 1975" | $879–$1,172 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2025·07 | "Nudo Azzurro, 1989" | $879–$1,172 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2025·07 | "Piscina, 1983" | $1,172–$1,406 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2025·06 | Paesaggio (Puglia), 1987 | $2,877–$4,028 | Finarte | |||
| 2025·06 | Route 66, Illinois, 2001 | $3,452–$4,603 | Finarte | |||
| 2024·05 | (1933) | $651–$1,301 | Kruso Art | |||
| 2024·05 | (1933) | $651–$1,301 | Kruso Art | |||
| 2024·02 | "Piscina" | $1,299–$1,624 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2024·02 | "Volkswagen, 1968" | $1,083–$2,165 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2024·02 | "Puglia, 1975" | $1,083–$1,299 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2024·02 | "People, New York, 1999" | $3,248–$4,330 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2024·02 | "Praga" | $1,299–$1,624 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2024·02 | "Landscape" | $1,299–$1,624 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2024·02 | "Phoenix" | $1,299–$1,624 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2024·02 | "Marrakech" | $1,299–$1,624 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2024·02 | "Nudo Azzurro" | $1,299–$1,624 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2024·02 | Untitled (Nude) | Unique Polaroid print | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2023·06 | "Landscape" | $1,313–$1,641 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·06 | "Marrakech" | $1,313–$1,641 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·06 | "Paesaggio" | $2,406–$3,281 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·06 | "Piscina" | $1,313–$1,641 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·04 | "Landscape" | $1,313–$1,642 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·04 | "Nudo Azzurro" | $1,313–$1,642 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·04 | "Phoenix" | $1,313–$1,642 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·02 | "Volkswagen, 1968" | $1,074–$2,147 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·02 | "Phoenix" | $1,288–$1,610 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·02 | "Praga" | $1,288–$1,610 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·02 | "People, New York, 1999" | $3,220–$4,294 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·02 | "Marrakech" | $1,288–$1,610 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·02 | "Landscape" | $1,288–$1,610 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·02 | "Landscape" | $1,288–$1,610 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·02 | "Puglia, 1975" | $1,074–$1,288 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·02 | "Piscina" | $1,288–$1,610 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2023·02 | "Nudo Azzurro" | $1,288–$1,610 | Viscontea auction house | |||
| 2022·11 | Rimini | $400–$600 | Bonhams | |||
| 2022·09 | Rimini | $800–$1,200 | Bonhams | |||
| 2022·06 | PAESAGGIO fotografia, cm 39,3x29,5; es. 48/51 firma | $422–$633 | Itineris Auction House | |||
| 2022·05 | (1933) | photograph | $1,605–$2,674 | Kruso Art | ||
| 2021·03 | Paesaggio, Basilicata, 1978 | $1,191–$1,786 | Finarte | |||
| 2021·03 | Nudo, 1978 | $1,429–$2,143 | Finarte | |||
| 2021·03 | Elvi, 1993 | $1,786–$2,381 | Finarte | |||
| 2021·03 | Swimming pool, 1983 | $1,429–$1,905 | Finarte | |||
| 2021·03 | Paesaggio, Basilicata, 1987 | $1,191–$1,786 | Finarte | |||
| 2021·03 | Paesaggio, Basilicata, 1978 | $1,191–$1,786 | Finarte | |||
| 2021·03 | New York, 1986 | $2,394–$3,591 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2020·10 | (1933) | $234–$351 | Kruso Art | |||
| 2020·09 | Via Emilia, km 235, 2006 | $1,171–$1,756 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·09 | Via Emilia, Alseno, km 251, 2006 | $1,171–$1,756 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·09 | Nudi, 1984 | $1,171–$1,756 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·09 | Collina, 1975 | $937–$1,405 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·09 | Paesaggio, 1995 | $585–$937 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·09 | Paesaggio, 1975 | $1,522–$1,990 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·09 | "Anna" Frammenti, 1982 | $2,107–$2,927 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·06 | Untitled | $897 | Lempertz | |||
| 2020·06 | Modena, 1979 | $337–$561 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·06 | Modena, 1990 | $449–$673 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·06 | (1933) | $681–$908 | Kruso Art | |||
| 2020·06 | Zürich | — | Galerie Bassenge | |||
| 2020·06 | Landscape, Basilicata, Italy | — | Galerie Bassenge | |||
| 2020·05 | (1933) | $1,078–$2,157 | Kruso Art | |||
| 2020·03 | Venezia, 1979 | $1,647–$2,196 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·03 | Zurigo, 1981 | $2,196–$2,746 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·03 | Senza titolo, 1990 | $1,098–$1,647 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·03 | Paesaggio, 1970 | $1,318–$1,977 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·03 | Paesaggio, 2000 | $1,318–$1,977 | Finarte | |||
| 2020·03 | Marrakech, 1987 | $1,647–$2,196 | Finarte | |||
| 2019·06 | Praga | — | Galerie Bassenge | |||
| 2017·12 | Praga | $1,783 | Lempertz | |||
| 2017·12 | Swimming pool | $1,783 | Lempertz | |||
| 2017·05 | Zürich | $1,122 | Lempertz | |||
| 2017·05 | Swimming pool | $1,683 | Lempertz | |||
| 2015·10 | Piscina - 1984 | Épreuve en couleurs, réalisée en 2015 | $4,424–$6,637 | Artcurial | ||
| 2015·10 | Piscina - 1984 | Tirage couleur, réalisé en 2015 | $4,424–$6,637 | Artcurial | ||
| 2015·06 | [no title recorded] | — | Dorotheum | |||
| 2015·06 | [no title recorded] | — | Dorotheum | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $19, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.