Angelo Savelli (1911 - 1995)

acrylic and twine on canvas; signed twice, titled and dated '1968' on the reverse

Gift of the artist to the present owner 'circa' 1980

This work is in good condition overall. All elements are present and stable. There are handling marks throughout, most notably along the edges. There is a pinpoint accretion in the center of the upper element. There are three areas of stable craquelure, one at the upper edge, one at the lower edge and one in the lower edge of the central element, the last of which has associated discoloration. There is canvas draw to the lower corners. There is a small area of loss to the lower edge. Under Ultraviolet light inspection there is no evidence of restoration. Unframed.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

Angelo Savelli, a native of Italy, began using a monochromatic white palette in 1957, a few years after he moved to New York and was inspired by the minimal palette and line work of artists such as Ad Reinhardt and Barnett Newman. Savelli had contact with these and other artists of the Abstract Expressionist generation through the artists Phillip Pavia and Jack Tworkov. In 1958, Leo Castelli exhibited Savelli’s work in his legendary gallery, where artists like Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg showed. Like Johns and Rauschenberg, Savelli began to incorporate found objects from the outside world in to his artwork, specifically rope, which referred to the fishing industry of his hometown and can be seen in the present work.