Lucio Oliveri – Maternità: The Bronze Sculpture That Captures the Essence of Contemporary Art

Maternità is one of the most significant works by Lucio Oliveri, the Italian artist known for his bronze sculptures made using the lost-wax casting technique. This ancient technique, also used by the great masters of the past, allows the artist to shape harmonious lines, elegant surfaces and the emotional energy that characterises all his creations.

About the work: “Maternità” by Lucio Oliveri

Title: Maternità
Artist: Lucio Oliveri
Technique: Lost-wax bronze casting
Sculpture dimensions: 30 × 16 × 8 cm
Base dimensions: 3 × 14 × 20 cm
Year: 2017‍Certificate of authenticity signed by the artist, archive number Arch.449

Why buy directly from Lucio Oliveri

Buying Maternità directly from the artist offers real, tangible advantages for private collectors and design professionals alike:

1. Guaranteed authenticity

The certificate is issued directly by the artist and his official archive.
No intermediaries, no risk of questionable documentation.

2. A better price than the market

Auction houses and dealers charge very high commissions.
Buying direct lets you add the work to your collection at the best possible price, with no hidden costs.

3. Accurate valuation

The artist knows his own market, his own output and the true value of his works.
A direct estimate is always more accurate than the generic valuations of auction houses.

4. Access to works not available on the public market

Many of Oliveri's sculptures never reach the auction room.
Collectors who buy direct gain access to archived, certified works available in limited editions, such as Maternità.

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Why avoid auctions when buying contemporary art

Auctions may seem an attractive place to find a bargain, but for today's collector they carry more risks than advantages.

1. Hidden commissions and high costs

Auction houses charge:

• a commission paid by the buyer (buyer’s premium)
• handling fees
• extra charges and additional taxes

The result?
The final price can be 25–40% higher than the hammer price.
A cost many buyers only discover at the moment of payment.

2. Information that is often incomplete or unverified

Auctions do not always provide:

• original certificates
• up-to-date archive records
• genuinely verifiable provenance

For contemporary art this is a major problem: without direct certification there is no way to be sure of a work's history.

3. No guarantee of how the work has been preserved

Works pass through private collections, storage facilities, warehouses and transport that is not always professional.
You cannot know:

• where it has been kept
• how it has been handled
• whether it has undergone undisclosed restoration

By contrast, when you buy from Lucio Oliveri or his official archive, the provenance is clear, certified and guaranteed directly by the artist.

4. Auction prices often out of step with real value

Auctions are driven by momentary dynamics:

• few bidders = a hammer price that is too low
• emotional competition = an inflated price

This creates confusion in the market and risks leading collectors to buy a work at a price far from its real value.

5. Too many online auctions today sell fake sculptures

In recent years online auction platforms have boomed. Many operators are professional, but unfortunately there are also many unregulated sellers.

It is increasingly common to find:

• fake sculptures or unauthorised copies
• works attributed without the artist's certification
• bronzes produced with cheap methods that do not respect the original technique
• suspiciously low prices

A sculpture that seems “too good a deal” is almost always a warning sign.
The art market is full of fakes: buying without checks exposes you to enormous risks.

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