The painting “Fortificato” by Mario Schifano, created in 1988, belongs to a mature phase of the artist’s career, when his pictorial language became focused on mental and symbolic landscapes, often evoked through dense fields of colour and broad painterly gestures. In this case, the composition is dominated by shades of blue and green, interrupted by darker marks and warmer chromatic accents, suggesting a central structure that may be interpreted as either an architectural or a fortified natural element.
From a technical standpoint, the combined use of enamel and acrylic allows Schifano to achieve layered textures and a vibrant surface. Furthermore, the brushwork appears both energetic and controlled, confirming the artist’s interest in a form of painting that is immediate yet fully conscious. As a result, the image does not describe a real place, but rather a synthetic vision filtered through the artist’s memory and visual experience.
Schifano, one of the leading figures of post-war Italian art, moved between Pop Art, pictorial experimentation, and reflections on landscape. In particular, during the 1980s, his research evolved towards a more gestural and introspective painting. Therefore, “Fortificato” represents a significant example of this phase in Mario Schifano ’s production, in which colour, mark, and structure merge into an autonomous and coherent image.
Description: Enamel and acrylic on canvas, bearing on the reverse the date, the artist’s signature, the title, and a label from the Mario Schifano Foundation, Rome, with archive number 88/105, title, technique, support, dimensions, and date, H cm 100×100.
Notes: Work accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and archival registration issued by the Mario Schifano Foundation, Rome, dated 26 October 2001, archive number 88/105.
Provenance: Private collection, Reggio Emilia.
Hammer Price: € 15.000,00
Auction 73 – June 25th 2024 – Modern and contemporary art
All works by Mario Schifano presented at auction
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