Lucio Fontana

Collezione privata Europa, Perugia
Collezione Manzoni-de-Franchis, Genova, Verona 
Collezione Enzo Quaratino, Verona 
Ivi acquistato dall'attuale proprietario

Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana – Catalogue raisonné, Bruxelles 1974, vol. II, pp. 108-109 illustrato
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana – Catalogo generale, Milano 1986, vol. I, p. 364 illustrato
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana - Catalogo ragionato di sculture, dipinti, ambientazioni, Milano 2006, vol. II, p. 548, n. 61 O 17, illustrato

This work appears to be in generally good overall condition. The dark blue tonality is fairly accurate compared to the catalogue illustration. There are few consolidated craquelures starting from the top and from the end of the cut and two stable ones towards the left side by the graffito, all visible in the catalogue illustration. There are 3 tiny paint losses with retouching visible under UV light along the lower outer graffito edge. There are few other tiny retouching visible under UV light by the top and the end of the slash, towards the upper outer right edge of the cut and 2 along the lower left margin.
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L'opera è accompagnata da attestato di libera circolazione
An export licence is available for this lot

"Fontana, tagliando i legami che collegano un grand numero di espressioni dette d'avanguardia ai dati estetici più classici, ha fatto esistere una pittura che dice spaziale, e che è in tutto supplementare allo spazio degli altri. E' paragonabile in grandezza solamente a Picabia. I suoi "Quadri a buchi", "Quadri a tagli" e le sue "Bocce" sono gli aeroliti di un arte futura caduti nel nostro presente: iniziamo solamente a poterci sognare."

"By cutting the ties that connect a great number of expressions known as avant- gard expressions,  to more classical and aesthetic data, Fontana has created a kind of spatial art that is overall supplementary to the space of others. In terms of greatness he can be compared only to Picabia. His "paintings with holes", "paintings in cuts" and his "bowls" are the aeroliths of a future art that fell on us in a present time: we can only start dreaming with them."

Alain Jouffroy, Galerie XX Siècle, Parigi 1965

L’indagine artistica di Lucio Fontana trova in questo Concetto Spaziale realizzato nel 1961 un importante esempio di indagine materica. Rilevante per un lettura critica accurata è la contestualizzazione temporale dell’opera, ovvero 1961, anno in cui l’artista era molto interessato all’uso di materiali sintetici.  Questo interesse trova conferma anche nelle lettere scritte nello stesso anno dall’artista,  dove si evidenzia come Fontana, dopo un periodo di malattia di quattro mesi,  fosse tornato al lavoro “con maggior entusiasmo”,  lavorando particolarmente con l’olio, esperienza che viene definita come “nuova” ed “interessante” (Fontana L., Lettere 1919-1968, Skira, Milano 1999, p. 180). Una fascinazione per l’olio che viene ripresa anche in una lettera che Fontana indirizzò a Enrico Crispolti il 15 gennaio 1961, in cui l’artista afferma, riferendosi amorevolemente anche alla moglie, “vorrei riprendere l’olio che mi attira molto (poveri vestiti!!) Teresita è disperata” (Ibid. p. 167). Questo Concetto spaziale, quindi, deve essere letto in chiave sperimentativa,  ed interpretato alla luce della considerazione fontaniana che “la materia [è] importante per l’evoluzione dell’arte”,  ma “la cosa più importante è l’idea” (Ibid. p. 181). In questo senso potrebbe quindi essere anche spiegato il graffito che circonda il taglio – il concetto spaziale – come ad indicare che l’oggetto di interesse principale, in qualunque momento, deve rimanere l’idea. Il 1961, e la ricerca spaziale nell’olio, sarà di incredibile importanza per la produzione artistica successiva e permetterà a Fontana di giungere, proprio nello stesso anno, alla maturità delle Venezie. Questo concetto spaziale, in conclusione, non solo rivela l’ampiezza della ricerca artistica di Lucio Fontana, ma si pone, storicamente, come un importante punto di riferimento per le opere successive.

Cutting the ties that connect a great number of so-called avant-gard expressions to the most classical aesthetic data, Fontana created a type of painting considered spatial, and that is entirely supplemental to the space of the others. Its greatness is only comparable to that of Picabia. His “Quadri a buchi (Holes paintings)”, “Quadri a tagli (Slashed paintings)” and his “Bocce (Bowls”) are the aerolites of a future art fallen into our present: we can only start to dream." Alain Jouffroy, Galerie XX Siècle, Paris 1965

 

Lucio Fontana’s artistic research finds in this Concetto Spaziale executed in 1961 an important example of medium research. Relevant for a critical analysis of this work is the period as it was the year when the artist was enjoying the use of synthetic mediums. This interest is also confirmed in the letter written by the artist in the same year, which highlight how, after he was ill for four months, Fontana returned to work “with more enthusiasm” and was especially working with oil paints, an experience that he defined as “new” and “interesting” (Fontana L., Letters 1919-1968, Skira, Milan, 1999, p.180). His fascination for oil paint is also echoed in a letter which Fontana wrote on 15^th January 1961 to Enrico Crispolti, where the artist, lovingly referring to his wife, says “I would like to restart using oil paints, as I feel very attracted by them (poor clothes!!), Teresita is desperate” (Ibid. p. 167). This Spatial Concept, thus, should be read in an experimental key, and interpreted in the light of the Fontana’s consideration that “medium [is] important for the evolution of art”, but “the most important thing is the idea behind it” (Ibid. p.181). This way it could also be explained the graffito surrounding the cut –the spatial concept-, as if to constantly remind that the focus always has to be the idea. 1961 and spatial research of oil paints will be of incredible importance to Fontana’s artistic production and, in the same year, will enable him to reach the maturity of the Venetians. In conclusion, this spatial concept not only reveals the extent of Lucio Fontana’s artistic research, but also, historically, constitutes an important reference point for later works.