One of Italy's prominent art critics, Vittorio Sgarbi, has derided the extensive art collection of the late Silvio Berlusconi, dismissing it as largely composed of poor quality, virtually worthless

pieces.

The former Italian prime minister, who passed away in June, had acquired many of the collection's 25,000 paintings and sculptures from late-night telesales programs.

Managing this vast collection has become a challenging task for his descendants.

Berlusconi's acquisitions are stored in a 3,200-square-meter warehouse near his mansion close to Milan. The assortment includes paintings featuring Madonnas, vibrant depictions of unclothed women, and cityscapes of Paris, Naples, Venice, and more, as reported by La Repubblica.

However, Sgarbi expressed his disappointment, suggesting that "people with limited knowledge of art" might derive some enjoyment from a museum exhibiting these works. He went on to estimate that out of 25,000 pieces, perhaps only six or seven hold any artistic value.

The entire collection is approximately valued at €20 million, averaging €800 per painting. At the time of his death, Berlusconi, a dominant figure in Italian politics since the early 1990s, had a net worth of around €6 billion.

Despite the less valuable pieces, Berlusconi also possessed higher-quality artworks. His primary residence featured works by the Renaissance painter Titian and the Dutch grandmaster Rembrandt.

Cesare Lampronti, a London-based art dealer who had a close association with Berlusconi for three decades, disclosed that the billionaire was an impulsive buyer. He shared, "He liked to buy portraits of women he gave as gifts to friends. When he was younger, he bought at galleries and from dealers, but later in life he bought from TV auctions."

Lampronti also noted that Berlusconi was aware of the worthlessness of many of his acquisitions.

Berlusconi's heirs are grappling with the onerous burden of managing this vast collection. According to La Repubblica, the annual cost of maintaining the warehouse containing the art is approximately €800,000. Part of the collection has already fallen victim to woodworm damage, with the expense of eradicating the pests sometimes surpassing the value of the affected paintings. Photo by European Parliament from EU, Wikimedia commons.