Ennio Finzi (1931) - Il gioco degli occhi
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Selected by Giulia Couzzi
Master’s in culture and arts innovation, with a decade in 20th-21st century Italian art.
Estimate € 300 - € 400
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Description from the seller
Ennio Finzi - The Game of the Eyes - Mixed media on cardboard - 2012
DETAILS OF THE WORK
Artist: Ennio Finzi (Italy)
Title of the work: "Il gioco degli occhi" (The Game of the Eyes)
Year: 2012
Technique and materials: Mixed media (acrylic markers, oil pastels, and collage) on cardboard.
Signature: Signed and dated bottom right
Dimensions: 33.5 x 25 cm.
Frame: No.
Condition: Excellent. No structural defects (the photographs are an integral part of the description).
DOCUMENTATION
Certificate of Authenticity and archiving issued by the Ennio Finzi Archive. Authenticity certificate prepared by Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca. Copy of the publication.
EXHIBITIONS
"Selected Works - Spring 2026", Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, Arezzo.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Catalogue of the Exhibition "Selected Works - Spring 2026", Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, Arezzo. Please note that the original catalogue is NOT included in the sale. Only the PHOTOCOPY will be attached.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK
We offer at auction "Il gioco degli occhi" (The Game of the Eyes), a vibrant and rhythmic work created in 2012 by the Venetian master Ennio Finzi, recently deceased and regarded as one of the last great protagonists of Italian postwar Abstract Expressionism and Spatialism.
This cardboard work is part of a fortunate, sought-after late-career cycle in which Finzi condensed his many-decade investigation into visual and chromatic perception. Through a layered mixed technique combining acrylic markers, oil pastels, and material applications with collage, the artist creates a dynamic optical “game.” Geometric shapes, jagged lines, and vivid fields of color chase across the surface with a musicality and rhythm reminiscent of the fascinating dissonances and timbral variations so dear to him.
It is a refined piece, perfect for collectors who wish to add to their collection a work that is extensively documented and representative of the maturity of a Master who traversed and profoundly marked the history of 20th-century art.
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL NOTES ON THE ARTIST
Ennio Finzi (Venice, 1931 – Mestre, 2024) was one of the leading interpreters of Abstract Expressionism and Critical Painting in Italy. Since the 1950s he was a prominent figure of the Venetian avant-garde, exhibiting at the historic Cavallino Gallery of Carlo Cardazzo and befriending figures such as Tancredi Parmeggiani and Peggy Guggenheim, who took an interest in his work from the beginning.
Although often associated with Lucio Fontana’s Spatialism (a movement with which he shared the tension to transcend traditional boundaries of the painting), Finzi always maintained an autonomous position, describing himself as a “pathological abstract artist” and an indefatigable researcher. His painting is intimately linked to music (in particular Schönberg’s atonality): for Finzi color has a strong sonic value, capable of creating luminous vibrations and optical-dynamic expansions.
Over the years he developed famous painted cycles exploring chromatic scales, reflections on light (through strict black-and-white works and the optical-kinetic investigations of the 1970s) before returning to an explosive and contrasting chromaticism in later decades. He participated in highly prestigious exhibitions, including the Rome Quadriennale (1959 and 1999) and the Venice Art Biennale (1986). Passed away in June 2024 at the age of 93, his work remains a fundamental pillar for understanding the evolutions of Italian abstract art, extensively documented and present in important public and private collections.
SHIPPING AND PACKING
Packaging: We guarantee professional, rigid, and custom-reinforced packing designed to preserve the complete integrity of the work and the cardboard during transit, protected from humidity and creasing.
Courier: Tracked, fast, and secure shipment via express courier. To guarantee the client, this item includes insurance on the shipment.
Customs and Export (Extra-EU): For buyers living outside the European Union, shipping may require the technical times needed to obtain the Export License (Attestato di Libera Circolazione) from MiC (Ministry of Culture). Any customs duties are the responsibility of the purchaser.
Invoicing: Professional seller. The work will be accompanied by a tax receipt (or electronic invoice, available upon request by sending your details at the moment of the lot award).
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 TranslateEnnio Finzi - The Game of the Eyes - Mixed media on cardboard - 2012
DETAILS OF THE WORK
Artist: Ennio Finzi (Italy)
Title of the work: "Il gioco degli occhi" (The Game of the Eyes)
Year: 2012
Technique and materials: Mixed media (acrylic markers, oil pastels, and collage) on cardboard.
Signature: Signed and dated bottom right
Dimensions: 33.5 x 25 cm.
Frame: No.
Condition: Excellent. No structural defects (the photographs are an integral part of the description).
DOCUMENTATION
Certificate of Authenticity and archiving issued by the Ennio Finzi Archive. Authenticity certificate prepared by Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca. Copy of the publication.
EXHIBITIONS
"Selected Works - Spring 2026", Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, Arezzo.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Catalogue of the Exhibition "Selected Works - Spring 2026", Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, Arezzo. Please note that the original catalogue is NOT included in the sale. Only the PHOTOCOPY will be attached.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK
We offer at auction "Il gioco degli occhi" (The Game of the Eyes), a vibrant and rhythmic work created in 2012 by the Venetian master Ennio Finzi, recently deceased and regarded as one of the last great protagonists of Italian postwar Abstract Expressionism and Spatialism.
This cardboard work is part of a fortunate, sought-after late-career cycle in which Finzi condensed his many-decade investigation into visual and chromatic perception. Through a layered mixed technique combining acrylic markers, oil pastels, and material applications with collage, the artist creates a dynamic optical “game.” Geometric shapes, jagged lines, and vivid fields of color chase across the surface with a musicality and rhythm reminiscent of the fascinating dissonances and timbral variations so dear to him.
It is a refined piece, perfect for collectors who wish to add to their collection a work that is extensively documented and representative of the maturity of a Master who traversed and profoundly marked the history of 20th-century art.
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL NOTES ON THE ARTIST
Ennio Finzi (Venice, 1931 – Mestre, 2024) was one of the leading interpreters of Abstract Expressionism and Critical Painting in Italy. Since the 1950s he was a prominent figure of the Venetian avant-garde, exhibiting at the historic Cavallino Gallery of Carlo Cardazzo and befriending figures such as Tancredi Parmeggiani and Peggy Guggenheim, who took an interest in his work from the beginning.
Although often associated with Lucio Fontana’s Spatialism (a movement with which he shared the tension to transcend traditional boundaries of the painting), Finzi always maintained an autonomous position, describing himself as a “pathological abstract artist” and an indefatigable researcher. His painting is intimately linked to music (in particular Schönberg’s atonality): for Finzi color has a strong sonic value, capable of creating luminous vibrations and optical-dynamic expansions.
Over the years he developed famous painted cycles exploring chromatic scales, reflections on light (through strict black-and-white works and the optical-kinetic investigations of the 1970s) before returning to an explosive and contrasting chromaticism in later decades. He participated in highly prestigious exhibitions, including the Rome Quadriennale (1959 and 1999) and the Venice Art Biennale (1986). Passed away in June 2024 at the age of 93, his work remains a fundamental pillar for understanding the evolutions of Italian abstract art, extensively documented and present in important public and private collections.
SHIPPING AND PACKING
Packaging: We guarantee professional, rigid, and custom-reinforced packing designed to preserve the complete integrity of the work and the cardboard during transit, protected from humidity and creasing.
Courier: Tracked, fast, and secure shipment via express courier. To guarantee the client, this item includes insurance on the shipment.
Customs and Export (Extra-EU): For buyers living outside the European Union, shipping may require the technical times needed to obtain the Export License (Attestato di Libera Circolazione) from MiC (Ministry of Culture). Any customs duties are the responsibility of the purchaser.
Invoicing: Professional seller. The work will be accompanied by a tax receipt (or electronic invoice, available upon request by sending your details at the moment of the lot award).
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
Ennio Finzi (1931)
Sold with frame
No
Sold by
Gallery
Edition
Original
Title of artwork
Il gioco degli occhi
Technique
Mixed technique
Signature
Hand signed
Country of origin
Italy
Year
2012
Condition
Excellent condition
Colour
Black, White
Height
25 cm
Width
33.5 cm
Style
Abstract
Period
2010-2020
Sold by
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