Gottardo Ortelli (1938-2003) - Continente Memoria Riferimenti
11
days
20
hours
54
minutes
38
seconds
Starting bid
€ 1
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Giulia Couzzi
Master’s in culture and arts innovation, with a decade in 20th-21st century Italian art.
Estimate € 1,500 - € 1,800
No bids placed
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 141736 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Gottardo Ortelli's oil on canvas titled 'Continente memoria riferimenti', 70 by 70 cm, created in 1971, original edition, hand-signed and titled on the back, sold with frame, in good condition, Italy, available from Galleria.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Gottardo Ortelli - Continent Memory References - Oil on canvas - 1971
DETAILS OF THE WORK
Artist: Gottardo Ortelli (Italy)
Title of the work: "Continente memoria riferimenti"
Period: 1971
Technique and materials: Oil on canvas.
Signature: Unique work. Signed, titled, and dated on the back by the artist, with location (Milan).
Dimensions: 70 x 70 cm.
Conditions: Good. No structural defects (the photographs are an integral part of the description). Please note that the irregularity of the frame (which makes it appear rotated relative to the frame) is intentional by the artist.
DOCUMENTATION
Certificate of authenticity issued by Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca. COPY of the publication. Please note that the catalog is NOT included in the sale. Only the copy will be attached.
EXHIBITIONS
"Selected Works 1-31.11 2025", Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, Arezzo.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Catalog of the Exhibition "Selected Works 1-31.11 2025", Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, Arezzo. Please note that the catalog is NOT included in the sale. Only the copy will be attached.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK
We present at auction a painting of extraordinary intensity and historical significance from 1971, created by Gottardo Ortelli, a leading figure in Italian painting and artistic research of the second half of the 20th century.
The work, titled "Continente memoria riferimenti", hails from a pivotal season in the artist's expressive maturity. The painting is distinguished by a complex and rigorous visual architecture: within a square perimeter, a dark field vibrantly filled with dense horizontal modulations encloses an organic form outlined by a sinuous contour. Inside this "continent-form" develops a delicate network of tracings, nodal points, and chromatic segments (red, blue, orange) that evoke Cartesian coordinates, mental maps, and celestial configurations. The canvas probes the boundary between space, calculation, and inner memory, manifesting that sensitivity to color, material, and luminous vibration that made Ortelli's language famous.
This is a piece with historical collector appeal and high cultural profile, ideal for connoisseurs of analytical painting and Italian abstraction of the 1970s, enhanced by being signed, dated, and titled on the back, in addition to its prestigious exhibition and bibliographic history.
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL NOTES ABOUT THE ARTIST
Gottardo Ortelli was born in Viggiù (Varese) in 1938. Trained at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, he entered the most fertile and innovative postwar artistic climate. In 1962 he became assistant to the Chair of Painting of Domenico Cantatore and from 1974 he took the title, teaching first at the Academy of Fine Arts in Foggia, then in Florence and finally at Brera, profoundly shaping critical debate and the training of new generations.
Launching his exhibition activity in 1963, he presented his works in major galleries and museum institutions: among notable solo exhibitions are those at the Sala Comunale d’Arte Contemporanea in Alessandria (1982), the Civica Raccolta del Disegno in Salò (1983), the Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea (PAC) in Milan (1984), Casa del Machiavelli in Sant’Andrea di Percussina (1985), the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Verona (1993), and the Museo della Permanente in Milan (1995). He participated in historic national and international exhibitions, including the Milan Art Biennale (1972, 1987, 1989, 1992), Empirica in Rimini (1975), America–Europe in Modena (1976), the International Art Biennale of Venice (1982), and the Quadriennale Nazionale d’Arte di Roma (1986, 1993). His work has been analyzed and supported by eminent critics and art historians, including Accame, Anzani, Ballo, Cerritelli, Contessi, Cortenova, D’Amico, De Micheli, Guadagnini, Gualdoni, Meneguzzo, Pirovano, Pontiggia, Sanesi, and Trini.
His painting pursues a constant balance between formal rigor, space, and the emotional intensity of the gesture, weaving the lesson of contemporary abstraction into the great Lombard painting tradition. Also active in public promotion, he served as director of the Butti Museum in Viggiù, culture councilor of the Municipality of Varese, and president of the Piero Chiara Literary Prize. He passed away in Varese in 2003; his work remains a fundamental testimony to the vitality and coherence of Italian painting in the second half of the twentieth century.
SHIPPING AND PACKING
Packing: We guarantee professional, rigid, and tailored reinforced packaging designed to preserve the canvas and frame's total integrity during transit, protected from shocks and humidity.
Courier: Tracked, fast, and safe shipping via express courier.
Customs and Export (Extra-EU): For buyers residing outside the European Union, shipping may require the technical time needed to obtain the Export License from the MiC (Ministry of Culture). Any customs duties are the responsibility of the buyer.
Invoicing: Professional seller. The work will be accompanied by a tax receipt (or electronic invoice, available upon request by sending your details at the time of bidding).
Seller's Story
Piero Della Francesca Art Gallery - Modern and Contemporary Art since 1969
Founded in Arezzo in 1969, the Piero Della Francesca Art Gallery is today one of the oldest galleries in Europe.
Throughout its history it has organized exhibitions by great masters of the 20th century and contemporary artists, becoming a reference point for all art enthusiasts.
Among the first galleries to operate online, it has been active on Catawiki for nearly ten years and is known on the platform for the variety of works it presents.
Translated by Google TranslateGottardo Ortelli - Continent Memory References - Oil on canvas - 1971
DETAILS OF THE WORK
Artist: Gottardo Ortelli (Italy)
Title of the work: "Continente memoria riferimenti"
Period: 1971
Technique and materials: Oil on canvas.
Signature: Unique work. Signed, titled, and dated on the back by the artist, with location (Milan).
Dimensions: 70 x 70 cm.
Conditions: Good. No structural defects (the photographs are an integral part of the description). Please note that the irregularity of the frame (which makes it appear rotated relative to the frame) is intentional by the artist.
DOCUMENTATION
Certificate of authenticity issued by Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca. COPY of the publication. Please note that the catalog is NOT included in the sale. Only the copy will be attached.
EXHIBITIONS
"Selected Works 1-31.11 2025", Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, Arezzo.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Catalog of the Exhibition "Selected Works 1-31.11 2025", Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, Arezzo. Please note that the catalog is NOT included in the sale. Only the copy will be attached.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK
We present at auction a painting of extraordinary intensity and historical significance from 1971, created by Gottardo Ortelli, a leading figure in Italian painting and artistic research of the second half of the 20th century.
The work, titled "Continente memoria riferimenti", hails from a pivotal season in the artist's expressive maturity. The painting is distinguished by a complex and rigorous visual architecture: within a square perimeter, a dark field vibrantly filled with dense horizontal modulations encloses an organic form outlined by a sinuous contour. Inside this "continent-form" develops a delicate network of tracings, nodal points, and chromatic segments (red, blue, orange) that evoke Cartesian coordinates, mental maps, and celestial configurations. The canvas probes the boundary between space, calculation, and inner memory, manifesting that sensitivity to color, material, and luminous vibration that made Ortelli's language famous.
This is a piece with historical collector appeal and high cultural profile, ideal for connoisseurs of analytical painting and Italian abstraction of the 1970s, enhanced by being signed, dated, and titled on the back, in addition to its prestigious exhibition and bibliographic history.
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL NOTES ABOUT THE ARTIST
Gottardo Ortelli was born in Viggiù (Varese) in 1938. Trained at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, he entered the most fertile and innovative postwar artistic climate. In 1962 he became assistant to the Chair of Painting of Domenico Cantatore and from 1974 he took the title, teaching first at the Academy of Fine Arts in Foggia, then in Florence and finally at Brera, profoundly shaping critical debate and the training of new generations.
Launching his exhibition activity in 1963, he presented his works in major galleries and museum institutions: among notable solo exhibitions are those at the Sala Comunale d’Arte Contemporanea in Alessandria (1982), the Civica Raccolta del Disegno in Salò (1983), the Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea (PAC) in Milan (1984), Casa del Machiavelli in Sant’Andrea di Percussina (1985), the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Verona (1993), and the Museo della Permanente in Milan (1995). He participated in historic national and international exhibitions, including the Milan Art Biennale (1972, 1987, 1989, 1992), Empirica in Rimini (1975), America–Europe in Modena (1976), the International Art Biennale of Venice (1982), and the Quadriennale Nazionale d’Arte di Roma (1986, 1993). His work has been analyzed and supported by eminent critics and art historians, including Accame, Anzani, Ballo, Cerritelli, Contessi, Cortenova, D’Amico, De Micheli, Guadagnini, Gualdoni, Meneguzzo, Pirovano, Pontiggia, Sanesi, and Trini.
His painting pursues a constant balance between formal rigor, space, and the emotional intensity of the gesture, weaving the lesson of contemporary abstraction into the great Lombard painting tradition. Also active in public promotion, he served as director of the Butti Museum in Viggiù, culture councilor of the Municipality of Varese, and president of the Piero Chiara Literary Prize. He passed away in Varese in 2003; his work remains a fundamental testimony to the vitality and coherence of Italian painting in the second half of the twentieth century.
SHIPPING AND PACKING
Packing: We guarantee professional, rigid, and tailored reinforced packaging designed to preserve the canvas and frame's total integrity during transit, protected from shocks and humidity.
Courier: Tracked, fast, and safe shipping via express courier.
Customs and Export (Extra-EU): For buyers residing outside the European Union, shipping may require the technical time needed to obtain the Export License from the MiC (Ministry of Culture). Any customs duties are the responsibility of the buyer.
Invoicing: Professional seller. The work will be accompanied by a tax receipt (or electronic invoice, available upon request by sending your details at the time of bidding).
Seller's Story
Piero Della Francesca Art Gallery - Modern and Contemporary Art since 1969
Founded in Arezzo in 1969, the Piero Della Francesca Art Gallery is today one of the oldest galleries in Europe.
Throughout its history it has organized exhibitions by great masters of the 20th century and contemporary artists, becoming a reference point for all art enthusiasts.
Among the first galleries to operate online, it has been active on Catawiki for nearly ten years and is known on the platform for the variety of works it presents.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Artist
Gottardo Ortelli (1938-2003)
Sold with frame
Yes
Sold by
Gallery
Edition
Original
Title of artwork
Continente Memoria Riferimenti
Technique
Oil painting
Signature
Hand signed
Country of origin
Italy
Year
1971
Condition
Good condition
Colour
Black, Red, White, Yellow
Height
70 cm
Width
70 cm
Style
Abstract
Period
1970-1980
Sold by
Giveaway Disclaimer
Giveaways may be organised as part of Catawiki Live. Participation in a giveaway is subject to the Giveaway Policy. By bidding on an object, you acknowledge that you may automatically be entered into a giveaway, where applicable.
Each giveaway may have different entry requirements and rules. The seller will announce these during the livestream. Make sure you understand the rules before taking part.
