Earlier this year an unsigned painting by Lucia Fontano, who in the sixties was one of the most well-known artists in Europe, was sold in Milan for R440 000. Now a signed painting of a nude study by the same artist, a work from the same series,  is up for auction in South Africa and is estimated to fetch around R300 000 to R400 000. How did such a painting get to be in South Africa?

The Zucci family emigrated from Italy to South Africa, following their passion for entrepreneurship, bringing the work with them. They brought it from their villa in Como which was developed by designer, artist and architect Ico Parisi. Fontano and Parisi would often collaborate.

Not only did Parisi design the architecture for the villa, he also considered the details including their interior furnishings including paintings on the walls. It was Parisi who designed and made the bold and unusual handmade frame of this painting, Nude femminile.

 Says Russell Kaplan, the auctioneer: “We see that art pieces such as this retain their value in foreign currency. There is demand for this artist in Europe, and consequently works such as this are being bought as a rand hedge investment.”

 This work will go on auction at Russell Kaplan Auctioneers on Saturday, August 1 and is available for viewing from Wednesday, July 29 until Friday, July 31. The full catalogue of this auction is available online at www.rkauctioneers.co.za

Viewing takes place at the auction house on the corner Garden and Allan Roads

Nude Femminile with frame

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