3006 - Lucio Fontana

Lucio Fontana 1899 Rosario, Argentina – 1968 Comabbio, Italy Concetto spaziale. 1964–1965 Ballpoint pen, chalk, and perforations on Fabriano C.M. vellum (with watermark) Signed lower right: L. Fontana Framed 26 × 34.8 cm (sheet size) Private collection, Comabbio; Sotheby’s, Milan, November 25, 2003, Lot 167; Private collection, Switzerland Luca Massimo Barbero, Lucio Fontana. Catalogo ragionato delle opere su carta, Vol. 3, Milan 2013, p. 891, nos. 64–65 DSP 71 (with illustration) The Argentine-Italian artist Lucio Fontana, founder of Spatialism, sought in his work to transcend the boundaries of the two-dimensional picture plane. The sheet offered here belongs to his late work and applies his characteristic principle of perforation to the fragile medium of paper. Within a rounded, rectangular field, swift vertical strokes crisscross the surface. Slightly to the right of center, numerous triangularly torn-open forms break through the support. Unlike in his perforated canvases, the intervention on the vellum unfolds with a subtle, almost fragile presence. The disruption of the surface becomes a symbol of an expanded concept of space that points beyond the material boundaries of the image. “I want to open up space, create a new dimension, and incorporate the cosmos, since it extends endlessly beyond the limited plane of the image.” Lucio Fontana. Sheet has minimal water stains Auction date: November 28, 2026 Approximate auction time: 1:43 p.m. CET