369 - Lucio Fontana 1899–1968

Lucio Fontana 1899–1968 41 35mm negatives depicting Lucio Fontana and his work, 1940s Numerous previously unpublished images from the period of Fontana’s stay in Argentina, 1940–47, including photographic evidence of lost, missing, or suppressed sculptural works that could not be verified even by E. Crispolti (Lucio Fontana, Catalogue Raisonné, Brussels 1974) and are absent from the Archivo Lucio Fontana in Milan. Most of this documentation of works (though likely all of it) was probably created in his father’s sculpture studio in Buenos Aires. Based on the available documentation, sculptures from the period 1929 to 1946 can be verified; Crispolti 29 Sc 2, 38 Sc 5, 40 Sc 2, 40 Sc 3, 40 Sc 7, 40 Sc 8, 40 Sc 9, 40 Sc 10, 41 Sc 3, 42 Sc 3, 43 Sc 4, 45 Sc 2, 46 Sc 3—some works are repeated in different combinations or with varying perspectives; Crispolti had already considered some of these works to be lost. The following works, which cannot be verified in Crispolti or in other literature, are now to be included in Lucio Fontana’s oeuvre: Four Rising Horses, Goddess of Victory (variant of Crispolti 46 Sc 3), Horse Leader, Male Bust, Annunciation, Dancers, Bathers, Standing Figure with Arms Crossed, Bather, Female Bust, Standing Man with Child, Dragon Slayer, Walker, Group of Figures, Seated Shepherd, Group of Horses, Male Torso, Woman with Violin, Seated Figure with Arms Resting on Support The photographic documentation—mostly taken against the backdrop of the studio—reveals an artistic and trained eye that captures the unique characteristics of the work. This is another reason why it stands to reason that Fontana himself was the photographer, documenting his own work just as Brancusi or Moore did In addition to the artwork documentation, the collection contains four family photographs: a group photo, Fontana’s mother, and Fontana with his parents and his father (previously unpublished) The negatives are accompanied by paper prints from 1982, measuring approximately 30.5 × 24 cm