Franz Borghese (1941-2005) - Fantomas - La fuga

Franz Borghese - Fantomas-La Fuga - Lithograph on paper - Prova d'Artista (Artist's Proof)

DETAILS OF THE WORK
Artist: Franz Borghese (Italy)
Title: "Fantomas-La Fuga"
Period: Second half of the 20th century
Technique and materials: Lithograph on paper. Limited edition of only 150 impressions in total. The present sheet is a sought-after Prova d'Artista (Artist's Proof).
Dimensions: 25 x 35 cm.
Signature: Signed in pencil by the artist.
Stamps: The sheet bears the Studio Franz Borghese dry-stamp of guarantee.
Condition: Excellent. No structural defects (photographs are an integral part of the description).

provenance

The work boasts prestigious and documented provenance (Arte Sant'Erasmo, Milan). Our Gallery has collaborated directly and closely with the master Borghese, organizing a retrospective solo show, and has dealt with his work for decades. This deep knowledge of the artist, combined with the dual publication and the presence of the dry-stamp of the studio on the sheet, guarantees absolute authenticity and high collecting value of this lithograph, which has come to us in a conservational state akin to a museum archive.

DOCUMENTATION

Documentation: Certificate of authenticity issued by Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, Arezzo. Photocopy of the publication.
Exhibitions: Grafica d'autore-Selected - Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, Arezzo, March 2025.
Publications: Catalogue of the exhibition "Grafica d'Autore-Selected", Edizioni Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, 2025. The work is also published in the volume "Franz Borghese, Il teatro della vita".

DOCUMENTATION

Documentation: Certificate of authenticity issued by Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, Arezzo. Photocopy of the publication.
Exhibitions: Grafica d'autore-Selected - Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, Arezzo, March 2025.
Publications: Catalogue of the exhibition "Grafica d'Autore-Selected", Edizioni Galleria d'Arte Piero Della Francesca, 2025. It should be noted that the original catalogue is NOT included in the sale. Only the PHOTOCOPY will be attached.

DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK
We propose at auction a splendid and ironic lithograph by Franz Borghese, one of the most brilliant, sarcastic, and lucid painters and etchers on the contemporary Italian figurative scene. Our gallery collaborated directly with the author when he was alive, organizing a retrospective solo exhibition in 1985.

The work, titled "Fantomas-La Fuga", revisits one of the artist's favorite themes: rococo and lively adventures and the vices of an early 20th-century bourgeoisie—clumsy, grotesque, and in perpetual motion. With his unmistakable quick, sharp, and caricatural stroke, Borghese stages a theatrical and surreal escape, populated by his typical bowler-hatted characters in period attire. The skilled use of lithographic technique enhances the quality of the line and the chiaroscuro contrasts, restoring the narrative and satirical force of the composition.

This is a piece of great elegance and collecting interest: the offered sheet is, in fact, a rare Prova d'Artista (P.d.A.) in a total edition of only 150 copies, further embellished and guaranteed by the official dry-stamp of the Franz Borghese Studio.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL NOTES ON THE ARTIST

Franz Borghese (Rome, 1941 – Rome, 2005) was an Italian painter, sculptor, etcher, and writer. His painting is universally recognized for its caustic, satirical, and theatrically charged perspective through which he explored and mocked the vices, alienations, and hypocrisies of the middle bourgeoisie.

Deeply influenced by the painting of Goya, Grosz, Dix, and Maccari, Borghese from the 1960s developed a uniquely original figurative language. His works are populated by a crowd of stereotyped and anachronistic characters (vain soldiers, prelates, bejeweled ladies, dandies in tails, cynical bourgeoisie, and gamblers) caught in ridiculous, grotesque, or fundamentally unreadable attitudes. Despite the fierce social critique, his scenes always maintain an aura of subtle irony and a lightness in color and composition that make them poetic and fascinating.

A highly successful artist, he exhibited in numerous Italian and international galleries, earning important awards and recognitions. His prolific graphic production (lithographs and etchings) is widely documented and sought after by collectors for the extraordinary technical ability to translate his caustic visions to paper. His works are now preserved in prestigious public and private collections worldwide.

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Packaging: We guarantee professional, rigid, and tailor-made packaging designed to preserve the total integrity of the paper during transit, shielding against shocks, folds, and humidity.

Courier: Tracked, fast, and secure shipping via express courier. For the total guarantee of the buyer, shipment insurance is included for this item.

Customs and Export (Extra-EU): Any customs duties are the buyer's responsibility.

Invoicing: Professional seller. The work will be accompanied by a tax receipt (or electronic invoice, available upon request by providing your details at the time of lot adjudication).