Lucio Fontana

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner circa 1960

L'Aquila, Castello Cinquecentesco, Aspetti dell'Arte Contemporanea: Omaggio a Cagli, Omaggio a Fontana, Omaggio a Quaroni - Retrospettive Antologiche, 1963, no. 158
Arezzo, Galleria Comunale d'Arte Contemporanea; Rome, Istituto Italo-Latino Americano, Burri, Cagli, Fontana, Guttuso, Moreni, Morlotti: Sei Pittori Italiani dagli Anni Quaranta ad Oggi, 1967, exhibited in Rome only
Rome, Istituto Latino-Americano, Visión 12, 1969, illustrated
Pontedera, Palazzo Scuola Media Curtatone e Montanara; Ferrara, Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna, Palazzo dei Diamanti; Milano, Palazzo Reale, I Pittori Italiani dopo il Novecento, 1969-1970, illustrated

Yoshiaki Tono, 'Lucio Fontana', in: Mizue, January 1962, p. 32, no. 682, illustrated
Shuzo Takiguchi, 'Fontana - Arte Contemporanea', in: Misuzu, 1964, p. 71, no. 25, illustrated
Guido Ballo, Fontana: Idea per un Ritratto, Turin 1970, pp. 202-203, no. 242, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Omaggio a Fontana, Assisi-Rome 1971, p. 177, no. 287, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogue Raisonné, Vol. II, Brussels 1974, p. 78, no. 58-59 CA 3,  illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Generale, Vol. I, Milan 1986, p. 272, no. 58-59 CA 3, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Vol. I, Milan 2006, p. 437, no. 58-59 CA 3, illustrated

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is a small rub mark approximately 10cm. long running vertically along the centre of the left extreme edge, with two associated minute specks of media loss. There are a few scattered fine unobtrusive rub marks visible to the work's surface upon very close inspection. There is a small white rub mark running horizontally from the bottom left extreme corner tip (approximately 5cm. long). There is a small unobtrusive stain towards the lower right centre of the composition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"The slash is always clean-cut and absolute, whether it appears alone or in a rhythmic sequence. The slash itself had already acquired a certain cursivity, resulting from the immediacy of the scratch, in the Cards, the linen-paper cards that Fontana executed between 1957 and 1959, and that therefore anticipated the Slashes. The approach still remained experimental, however, open to multiple solutions." Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Vol. I, Milan 2006, p. 77