Lucio Fontana

Galleria Notizie, Turin
Private Collection, Turin
Sale: Christie's, London, The Italian Sale: 20th Century Art, 23 October 2001, Lot 139  
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana. Catalogue Raisonné, Vol. II, Brussels 1974, p. 82, no. 59 T 46, illustrated upside down
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Generale, Vol. I, Milan 1986, p. 286, no. 59 T 46, illustrated upside down
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Vol. II, Milan 2006 p. 452, no. 59 T 46, illustrated

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is lighter in the original. Condition: This work is in good condition. There is wear to all four corners, with associated paint losses to the corner tips. There are further scattered areas of wear and small paint losses in places around the extreme edges. Beneath the centre of the top edge there is a tiny hole to the canvas with an associated minute paint loss. There is a further faint rub mark to the centre left of the upper left quadrant. There is light canvas draw towards the upper right corner, as well as a small impact mark with associated tiny specks of loss. Upon close inspection, there are shiny traces of glue residue to the upper and lower tips of the top two slashes. This work would benefit from a professional clean. 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."

"My art is all based on the purity of the philosophy of nothing, which is not a destructive nothing but a creative nothing... And the slash [was] not the destruction of the painting... it was a dimension beyond the painting, the freedom to conceive art through any means, through any forms."

The artist cited in: Exhibition Catalogue, Rome, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Lucio Fontana, 1998, p. 246