Sothebys : (English) Modern & Contemporary Art Sale at Sotheby's Milan - 4/5 May 2017

Media Release For immediate release

MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART SALE AT SOTHEBY'S MILAN - 4/5 May 2017

May 4th, 2017 19:00 Palazzo Serbelloni, C.so Venezia 16 Milan May 5th, 2017 15:00 Palazzo Serbelloni, C.so Venezia 16 Milan

From Thursday 27th to Saturday, April 29th and Tuesday 2nd to Wednesday 3th, May

10.00 a.m - 18.00 p.m

Alberto Burri, Combustione Plastica, Plastic combustion on iron stretcher, 1967

The Milanese happening with Modern and Contemporary Art is characterized by a dual happening: the sale is made up with Italian and foreign private collections that will be adjudged by Italian and international collectors.

"This selected spring sale is scheduled just before the Venice Biennale and the New York auctions and it is a valuable opportunity to win an Italian masterpiece coming from Italian and foreign collections - comment Beatrice Botta and Marta Giani, responsibles for the sale - Works by Alberto Burri stand out for freshness and composition's fullness: the rhomboidal "Combustione Plastica", 1967, is a study for the window of the Convent of Sion in Switzerland, signed by the Venetian architect Mirco Ravanne. The "Combustione" shows both the drama and profound spirituality. Moreover, the cellotex "Combustione", 1968, is a work of great compositional balance; acquired directly from the artist, it has always been kept in the same collection".

Lucio Fontana, Concetto Spaziale, Attese, Waterpaint on canvas, grey, 1966

Coming from a private collection and never appeared on the market - as explained by the specialists - a harmonious five slashes by Lucio Fontana, created in 1966; the artist expressed in the elegant and unusual variant of its light-grey the refinement of his mature works.

The sale in Milan offers two splendid examples of "Homage to the Square" by Josef Albers, particularly requested by the nowdays market.

Finally, we would like to mention an iconic canvas by Piero Manzoni: an "Achrome" executed in 1960, which bears a rich bibliography."

The May sale will show a group of one hundred numbered highly selected lots.

An international collection includes two large tapestries by Alghiero Boetti estimated each € 250.000-

350.000 and a 1969 hexagonal canvas by Enrico Castellani (est: €

400.000 to 600.000). The same collection includes a styrofoam and kaolin, 1962-1963 "Achrome" by Piero Manzoni which belongs to the last days of the painter's short life (est: € 250.000-350.000).

Another "Achrome" by Manzoni was exhibited at the Madre Museum in Naples in 2007; the 1960-61 canvas represents the total nullification of the object-painting in which art offers itself in its nudity for what it is: a concept, a metaphysical idea, without any allusive or representative ambition (est. € 400.000 to 600.000) and a further 1962, Achrome, pack wrapping paper, estimated € 120.000 - 180.000.

Besides the hexagonal lot already mentioned, the catalogue offers a selection of Castellani of all ages and colours: 1977 "Superficie Bianca"(est: € 280,000-350,000); a red Castellani of the 90's (est: € 280.000- 350.000) and lastly a 2003 "Superficie Blu" (est: € 220,000 - 280,000).

A magnificent rhomboidal "Combustione Plastica" by Alberto Burri represents a rare example of the maturity of the artist (valued:

€ 500.000/ 700.000). It is a work related to the large "Combustione Plastica" in the Capuchin church of Sion, created in collaboration with the architect Ravanne; Here, more than ever, the burnings and lacerations on the surface of the plastic allude to suffering, and rebirth, which transcends the mundane.

Lucio Fontana, Concetto Spaziale, Attesa, Waterpaint on canvas, dark Blue, 1962

collections (estimate: €700.000- 900.000); as well as a single slash on a fuchsia pink canvas that Fontana dedicated to the well-known gallerist Guido Le Noci's daughter, Marina (estimate: € 330.000-430.000). Another work by the same artist, a "Concetto Spaziale, Teatrino", which has been included at Fontana's first solo show just after his death at Palazzo Reale, Milan, in 1972 and a splendid Crucifix produced with glazed ceramic, shown at the XXIV Venice Biennale in 1948 (estimate: € 80.000-120.000).

Two "Homage to the Square" by Josef Albers are characterized by the most significant and sought after colours: one red (1969) and the other yellow (1961); both coming from the Beyeler Gallery in Basel (est: € 200.000-300.000, each).

These are Peggy's words referring to Tancredi:

"I was the first person who managed to issue a contract with Pollock and to sell, with a lot of effort, his paintings in my New York gallery, the Art of this Century. In Venice many years later, when I was not a gallerist any longer but I was completely dedicated to the accomplishment of my museum, I made for the young Tancredi one of the rare exception to the rule that I had imposed to myself."