The painting's sale was a highlight of Sotheby's Milan's Modern and Contemporary Art auction, held on the evening of May 27 (local time) in Italy. This work by Lucio Fontana was the second-highest lot sold, significantly exceeding its estimate of 700,000 to one million euro.

Sotheby's reports that Fontana created the painting between 1965-1966, using watercolor on canvas. It previously belonged to private collections. On a yellow background, the artist made three parallel slashes of nearly identical size. Documentation from his 2006 exhibition described the work as "a field of pure energy." These three cuts symbolize freedom, guiding viewers beyond their immediate perception.

"These slashes remind us that, in Fontana's view, art is never an end point but opens up new dimensions," the document states.

The "Concetto spaziale, Attese" painting measures 65x54 cm. *Photo: Sotheby's*

During the same auction, another Lucio Fontana work with a similar theme sold for 512,000 euro (approximately 15 billion VND). Fontana completed this painting in 1960, featuring a blue background with distinct lines and textures. The auction house explained that for Fontana, a slash was not an act of destruction but rather an invitation for the viewer to look towards a "free space."

The "Concetto spaziale, Attesa" artwork uses the same watercolor on canvas material. *Photo: Sotheby's*

Lucio Fontana was born in 1899 in Rosario de Santa Fe, Argentina. In 1905, he and his family moved to Italy. From 1916-1918, he served with the Italian army during World War I. In 1921, Fontana returned to Argentina, where he began creating busts at his father's workshop. From 1925, critics highly praised him for a series of abstract sculptures, which utilized unusual materials. The artist held his first exhibition at Galleria del Milione, Milan, in 1931.

Sotheby's indicates that from 1949, Lucio Fontana began creating his signature slashed works. He collectively titled these pieces Concetto Spaziale, applying this designation to most of his later paintings. He once stated, "I do not want to paint a picture; rather, I want to open up a new dimension of space." Fontana initially wanted to become a painter like his grandfather, but he realized that specific artistic terms were not for him. In 1968, the artist passed away in Comabbio, Italy.

By Phuong Linh