There’s a long list of what Italian collector Manfredi della Gherardesca wants to buy.

In fact, the former gallery owner, sometimes art adviser for Citibank and former president of Sotheby’s Italy, covets more than he could acquire himself. He now runs his own art and design consultancy to help others navigate the maze that is the contemporary art market. Also a curator, Della Gherardesca is currently putting the finishing touches on an epic investigation of François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne for Ben Brown Fine Arts London and Claridge’s ArtSpace.

We caught up with the collector about his rare Andy Warhol landscape, the difficulties of exhibiting contemporary video art, and the hard lesson he learned when he bought into the hype of an artist without consider the long term.

What was your first purchase (and how much did you pay for it)?

The first time I bought something at auction was at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris. For 600 francs, I bought a small oil panel, 19th century, with an Orientalist market scene by Eugène Delacroix. I still have it and it accompanies me in all the houses where I have lived. It is an integral part of the history of my own collection.

What was your last purchase?

The last painting I bought is a 19th century family group by an anonymous Lombard painter. I bought it because of its naive but precise style, making it look like a much more modern portrait from the 1930s. It will decorate the walls of my country house.

What works or artists do you hope to add to your collection this year?

My theoretical wish list – because I can’t afford any of them! – is a work by Barnett Newman on paper; a painting by Jennifer Packer; a 19th century painting by Giuseppe Bezzuoli (an exhibition is currently dedicated to him at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence); and toeye-opener which represents a bas-relief about Hugolino and his children – a famous Dante Hell character and one of my ancestors. This last work, I will actually buy.

Courtesy of Manfredi della Gherardesca.

What is the most expensive work of art you own?

It was a work of Andy Warhol from the 80s, perhaps the only landscape he had ever painted; Naples Vesuvius.

Where do you most often buy art?

London and New York are where I usually buy art.

Is there a work you regret buying?

A few years ago, I bought a work on paper by an American artist with a meteoric career and unconventional prices. This is the only time I bought something with my ears rather than my eyes. I never really liked the work, and I sold it almost at a loss.

Courtesy of Manfredi della Gherardesca.

What work have you hung above your couch?

The last two sofas I hung over were at my home in London. Above one there is a Bolognese school (Guercino) that I inherited and love. On the other sofa, I hang a still life of carpets and fabrics from the 1640s with beautiful floral arrangements and silver objects by the French painter Jacques Hupin, a rare find.

What’s the least practical piece of art you own?

I find contemporary video art incredibly stimulating. I own a Jennifer Steinkamp from a tree, which I’ve only put up once since owning it – for one night! Obviously, my real estate is not suitable for video installations.

Courtesy of Manfredi della Gherardesca.

What work would you have liked to buy when you had the opportunity?

As a young agent in the early 80s, I bought many beautiful early images of Cindy Sherman. I’ve also had many opportunities to purchase works from the 80s by Andy Warhol, who has probably one of the fastest growing price points of any 20th century artist.

If you could steal one piece of art without getting caught, what would it be?

Nike of Samothrace. Strategically placed above a grand staircase, it would be difficult to drive home but extremely rewarding. The sense of movement and aerial lightness of this sculpture is simply sublime.

“Les Lalanne: Makers of Dreams” runs from April 28 to July 29 at Ben Brown Fine Arts in London and Claridge’s ArtSpace in London.

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