Angelo Savelli

Private Collection, Brescia

Private Collection, Milan

Acquired from the above by the present owner in circa 1990 

Milan, Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea, Angelo Savelli, October – November 1984

Paris, Tornabuoni Art, Bianco Italia, April – July 2013, p. 151, illustrated in colour

Colour: The colour in the catalogue illustration is fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is whiter in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. Close inspection reveals some small abrasions in places to the impasto peaks and some light wear in places to the flat areas of paint. Further inspection reveals a few tiny specks of red paint in places to the centre. There is some light dirt to the veil in the top left corner. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultra-violet light.
"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."

Hiroshima by Angelo Savelli is a hugely admired work from the artist’s mature practice, which was featured in the historic exhibition organized in his honour by the Commune of Milan in 1984 at the Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea (PAC). The exhibition was a result of Savelli’s international artistic acclaim that led him to work extensively in Europe and the US.

Following a successful career in Rome, Savelli decided to move to New York with his wife in 1954. Soon after his arrival, he befriended key members of the New York art scene including Barnett Newman, Robert Motherwell, Theodoros Stamos, and Conrad Marca-Relli, and became well acquainted with Leo Castelli, who invited him to exhibit at his gallery in 1958.

Between 1956-57, Savelli executed a monochrome serigraphy. Entitled Bianco su Bianco, or ‘white on white’ in English, these were his first completely white paintings. From here on, the colour white, which already appeared in some of his figurative works of the late 1940s, became the elemental component of his artistic vocabulary. From 1959 onwards Savelli began incorporating other compositional elements, such as cork, strings, plexiglass, sand and wood, into his works - embedding them within the white, which remained the defining feature of his work. In 1964, the artist was invited to participate in the XXXII Venice Biennale, where he was given his own room to exhibit a series of embossed graphics and paintings, entitled Bianco su Bianco, works that earned him the First Award for Graphics. Towards the end of the 1970s, Savelli began his minimalist phase. From this period onwards he decided to remove the aforementioned materials, including even the canvas stretcher, from his works  – apart from the rope, which has remained a prominent compositional element.  In fact, many of his white canvases didn’t include the classic wooden frame and were attached directly to the wall using thin steel pins. As a result matter seemed to dissolve into the work and his paintings acquired a Zen-like dimension.

Hiroshima from 1984, is paradigmatic of this mature phase in the artist’s practice. The unique interplay of triangular shapes and polygons creates a harmonious image of spiritual geometric accuracy, underlined by the presence of a delicate white veil that is present in all of his works. Herein, it captures the leitmotif of Savelli's mature output – the attainment of the ideal notion of sublimity that he had always been striving for. Piero Dorazio, who knew Savelli since the time of the Art Club in Rome around 1945, recalled: "In America, Savelli was accepted into the circle of important abstract artists. He was esteemed by all. Barnett Newman loved him, Robert Motherwell greatly appreciated him, as did Ad Reinhardt [...] Savelli was loved by all artists and his name was synonymous with tolerance, poetry, grace, kindness – human qualities that have been lost in America ... Savelli has remained a champion of absolute purity, I compare him to the platinum meter [...] a reference to the behavior and to the way of being for each artist [...] (Piero Dorazio in an interview with Antonella Soldaini, in: Antonella Soldaini, Angelo Savelli: un guerriero dell'anima, Milan 1995, n.p.)