525 - Lucio Fontana (1899, Rosario, Argentina – Comabbio near Varese, 1968)

Lucio Fontana (1899, Rosario, Argentina – Comabbio near Varese, 1968) Untitled (Concetto spaziale) Ink and white overpaint on cream-colored vellum. (1957). Approx. 17 x 25 cm. Signed lower right. Accompanied by a photo certificate from the Fondazione Lucio Fontana, Milan. The work is registered in the Fondazione’s archive under number “4653/1.” • Rare work on paper from the central “Concetti Spaziali” series • A small-format, abstract realization of Fontana’s idea of discovering a breakthrough into an expanded dimension by piercing the picture surface • His concept of surface and space made Fontana one of the most revolutionary artists of the postwar period Lucio Fontana is considered one of the great innovators of 20th-century art. From the very beginning, his artistic thinking was sculptural and extended far beyond the boundaries of the two-dimensional picture plane. For him, the line was far more than a drawing tool: it delineates volume, creates movement, and gives rise to spatial concepts. This work on paper impressively expresses this concept. Against a deep black background, a few freely placed white lines unfold, coalescing into organic forms before dissolving back into individual marks. The white traces emerge from the darkness, creating a remarkable spatial effect. The special quality of this work lies in the extraordinary freedom and confidence of its line work. With just a few gestures, Fontana succeeds in lending the black surface depth, movement, and an almost physical presence. Thus, a central idea of the artist is condensed into a small format: The line not only describes a form; it seemingly creates a space. The logical continuation of this approach is the famous *Concetti spaziali*, in which Fontana ultimately pierces the canvas or opens it with precise cuts, incorporating the real space behind the picture plane. Provenance: Private collection, Düsseldorf; Private collection, Bavaria. Taxation: subject to margin scheme (VAT: Margin Scheme).