拍品 161
  • 161

MARIO SCHIFANO | Quatro fiorito

估價
18,000 - 25,000 GBP
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描述

  • Mario Schifano
  • Quatro fiorito
  • signed, titled and dated on the reverse
  • acrylic and enamel on canvas
  • 70 by 99.7 cm. 27 1/2 by 39 1/4 in.
  • Executed circa 1980.

來源

Galleria Lucio Amelio, Naples
Mario Valentino, Naples
Thence by descent to the present owner

Condition

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There are artist's pinholes in all four corners, which have some associated faint residue. Close inspection reveals some light handling marks to the white border and some canvas draw towards the upper left hand corner. Extremely close inspection reveals two tiny specks of media that have adhered to the teal paint to the upper centre right of the composition and a few minute and unobtrusive nicks to the tips of the impasto peaks in places. There are some networks of hairline cracks in places to the enamel and some slight discolouration to the artist's varnish. 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."

拍品資料及來源

Property from the Collection of Mario Valentino (lots 161-162)

Born in Naples in 1927, Mario Valentino began his career as a designer against the backdrop of post-war Italy. His father had made bespoke shoes for the Neapolitan aristocracy before the war and Valentino therefore grew up among the artisanal processes of leather craftsmanship, later earning himself the nickname ‘King of Leather’ for his studied mastery of the material. An innovator in design, Valentino intuitively responded to the dynamism of mid-century Europe and its demand for rich colours, voluptuous silhouettes and high, sculptural shoes. As European products began to enter the American market reinvigorated by the economic boost of the Marshall Plan, so too did Valentino’s designs captivate an international audience, with the particular, elegant cachet of quality conferred by the ‘Made In Italy’ label. Along with Roger Vivier, Mario Valentino was one of the earliest exponents of the low-cut stiletto and a pioneer of the flat sandal, at one point scandalising the fashion world by creating a sandal made of coral. Praised by Diana Vreeland, Valentino’s deconstructed sandals were iconically photographed by a young Guy Bourdin for the cover of French Vogue in 1956, engaging a new wave of high-profile customers including Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Catherine Deneuve.

Among his contemporaries in the landscape of Italian fashion, Valentino counted the Marquis Emilio Pucci and Salvatore Ferragamo, both of whom were gaining ground in the European and American markets. The twin passions for art and fashion were felt keenly by this generation of young designers, whose aesthetic sensibilities in the world of couture translated into a devotion to Italian art and collecting. Valentino himself sponsored the restoration of hand-embroidered tapestries and sixteenth-century frescoes at the Neapolitan convent of Santa Chiara. He housed part of his collection in his apartment at the Palazzo Cellamare adorning rooms already filled with elegant 1920-30s furniture. This collection featured works by Andy Warhol, who became a friend, Gino Severini, Giorgio de Chirico and Art Nouveau objects by René Lalique and Marius-Ernest Sabino. Valentino also filled his retail and manufacturing spaces with fine art and precious objects; the collection was to be experienced and enjoyed not only by himself but by those living and working around him. The designer had developed a firm friendship with dealer and curator Lucio Amelio, who exhibited international contemporary artists at his gallery in Naples. His friendship with Amelio proved to be a seminal one, whose patronage of exhibitions at the gallery was key to transforming the city into a bastion of the avant-garde landscape of the 1980s.

A celebrated designer and dedicated patron of the arts, Mario Valentino shaped a fashion empire from its beginnings as a local service for well-heeled Neapolitans into a global phenomenon and cultural legacy. From clothing collaborations with Paco Rabanne and Karl Lagerfeld to his work with iconic image-makers Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton, Valentino ranks among one of the most beloved designers of the twentieth century.

Further works from the Mario Valentino collection will be offered in the following London auctions: Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale on 20th June 2018, Contemporary Art Evening Sale on 26th June 2018 and the Surrealist Art Sale in February 2019.



This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the Archivio Mario Schifano.