Cambi Aste presents the Photography auction of 27 January 2026, a carefully curated selection of 100 lots spanning the twentieth century and contemporary photography, bringing together great international masters, leading figures of Italian photography, and iconic works of extraordinary value.

At the heart of the auction is an exceptional group of vintage photographs by Inge Schönthal Feltrinelli, one of the key figures of Italian and international culture in the second half of the twentieth century. From the 1950s onward, as the Feltrinelli publishing house was taking shape, Inge created images destined to enter the collective imagination, born from authentic, often improvised encounters with some of the most influential personalities of her time.

The auction features legendary photographs such as Anna Magnani (lot 40), intense and sensual in the celebrated 1952 portrait; Pablo Picasso in his studio in Cannes (lot 41) and at his home “La California” (lot 42); Giangiacomo Feltrinelli with Fidel Castro (lot 43), an emblematic image of an era in which politics, culture, and utopia were deeply intertwined; as well as the iconic Ernest Hemingway (lot 44) and the very rare proof print with Hemingway and Inge Feltrinelli (lot 45), a direct testimony to a relationship that was human before it was professional. All the photographs come directly from Inge Feltrinelli’s personal collection and are original vintage prints, accompanied by certification from the Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Foundation.

The proceeds from the sale of this group will be used to support the Premio Inge Feltrinelli. Raccontare il mondo, difendere i diritti (Telling the World, Defending Rights), an international award dedicated to women and new generations engaged in telling stories of denied rights, discrimination, and resistance.

Alongside this extraordinary nucleus, the auction offers an important overview of twentieth-century Italian photography, spanning landscape and reportage. Highlights include works by Gianni Berengo Gardin, a master of social vision and humanist photography, represented by works covering decades of research, from the celebrated Great Britain, 1977 (lot 34) to images of everyday life and Italian domestic spaces (lots 32, 36, 37). Of great significance is also the group dedicated to Mario Giacomelli, featuring some of his most emblematic series: L’Infinito (lot 63), Io non ho mani che mi accarezzino il volto from the Pretini series (lot 65), and Natura morta con pane (lot 66), images that combine lyricism, abstraction, and profound existential depth.

Among the international top lots is a rare vintage print by Robert Capa, Troina, 3–4 August 1943 (lot 55), a powerful document of the Sicilian campaign, bearing the Magnum stamp on the verso. Also of great interest is a gelatin silver print by Aleksandr Mikhailovich Rodchenko (lot 96), a testament to the radical vision of the Russian avant-garde.

The auction concludes with an important focus on contemporary photography, featuring four works by Albert Watson, one of the most influential photographers on the international scene. The catalogue includes monumental and very recent works such as Giraffe with Showgirls, Imperial Royal Circus, near Rome, 2024 (lot 75) and Garden of St. Alexius, Rome, 2024 (lot 76), both linked to the project A Rome Codex, as well as the layered composite photographs Myla Dalbesio (lot 77) and Cara Keegan (lot 78) from the Dreamscape series, which further confirm the artist’s visionary and narrative power.