Lucio Fontana's Slashed Canvas Hits £2.8 Million at Sotheby's Bidding Battle Record in London
•March 9, 2026
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Why It Matters
The sale underscores soaring demand for iconic post‑war art, indicating strong investment potential and influencing museum acquisition strategies.
Key Takeaways
- •First Fontana work sold in London since 1984
- •Painting fetched £2.8 million, setting auction record in London
- •Fourteen slashes on electric‑blue canvas define Fontana’s signature
- •Piece remained in same private collection for over twenty years
- •Intense bidding battle featured collectors Lorenzo and Claudia
Summary
Sotheby’s London auction on Thursday featured Lucio Fontana’s 1961 “Slashed Canvas,” a 14‑cut electric‑blue work that had not appeared at public sale since 1984.
The piece opened at £1.6 million and, after a fierce contest between bidders Lorenzo and Claudia, closed at £2.8 million, shattering the previous London record for a Fontana and marking the highest price ever paid for a slashed‑canvas at auction.
The auctioneer’s rapid call‑outs—“£1.9 million, Claudia,” “£2.25 million, Lorenzo”—highlighted the intensity of the bidding war, while the work’s provenance, a private collection of over twenty years, added to its allure.
The result signals renewed confidence in post‑war avant‑garde art, suggesting that collectors and institutions will continue to chase iconic works, potentially driving up valuations across the market.
Original Description
Lucio Fontana's 'Concetto spaziale, Attese' stole the spotlight at the Sotheby's London Contemporary Evening Auction, presented by CELINE.
After a spirited round of bidding, Tom Eddison brought the hammer down at £2.8 million for the artist's iconic slashed canvas.
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