Lucio Fontana

Galleria Levi, Milan
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Rome, Marlborough Galleria d'Arte, Lucio Fontana "Forme Nuove 1967", 1967
Turin, Galleria La Bussola, Fontana, 1967
Rome, Studio d'Arte Condotti, Fontana, 1973, no. 9
Turin, Galleria Gissi, Lucio Fontana, mn. 5590
Tokyo, Fuji Television Gallery, Lucio Fontana, 1986, n.p., no. 26, illustrated in colour

Enrico Crispolti, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Brussels,1974,  Vol. I, p. 95; Vol. II, pp. 206-207
Enrico Crispolti, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Milano, 1986, Vol. II, p. 705, illustrated
Francesco De Bartolomeis, L'Arte Contemporanea e Noi. L'Amore e Figurativo o Astratto?, Florence, 1994, pp. 267, no. 77, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Milano, 2006, Vol. II, p. 900, no. 67 EL 17, illustrated

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the red tends more toward terracotta in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. Upon close inspection, there is some isolated minor wear along the outer edges and side edges with a few associated specks of loss. Close inspection reveals a light circular rub mark to the top left of the composition and two tiny transparent media accretions to the centre left. Examination under ultra-violet light reveals isolated spots of retouching in a few places along the extreme and outer edges.
"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."

Concetto Spaziale, Ellisse is an elegant example from one of Lucio Fontana’s final series, Ellisse. Throughout 1967, the artist created a group of gracefully elliptical canvases in an array of vibrant colours, each punctured with the distinctive buchi that had first appeared within his works nearly twenty years before. The arrangement of buchi within each Ellisse differs, imbuing each work with its own unique character and artistic credo: either punched into a rigid vertical line or curving gently across the canvas ground. Concetto Spaziale, Ellisse, is similar in form to the remarkable Fine di Dio series (created between 1963 and 1964); Fontana considered the oval/egg shape to be of immense significance, believing it to represent, effectively, the crucible of life and to be of great spiritual importance. Yet, whilst the Fine di Dio series was formed of violent attacks on the canvas with Fontana’s bare hands, the buchi adorning Ellisse are more precise, almost delicate, in application, as though the artist is focussing on the miraculous wonder of his pursuit of the fourth dimension instead of the fears of the unknown: “With my innovation of the hole pierced through the canvas in repetitive formations, I have not attempted to decorate a surface, but on the contrary; I have tried to break its dimensional limitations. Beyond the perforations, a newly gained freedom of interpretations awaits us…” (the artist, cited in Exhibition Catalogue, Minneapolis, Walker Art Centre, Lucio Fontana, 1966). Concetto Spaziale, Ellisse, epitomises the sheer wonder and excitement of Fontana’s quest to move beyond the canvas ground, and so discover the potential of alternative spatial planes in the process.