Mario Schifano (1934-1998) - Senza titolo

Direct examination of the sheet outside the frame allows us to clearly define the main technical and documentary elements. The format is 70 × 50 cm; along the lower margin are clearly present the initials H.C., the pencil signature “Schifano,” and the dry stamp “2r.” The surface shows, in several spots, a chromatic deposit perceptible under oblique light and to the touch, especially in the green, brown, red, and blue fields: a characteristic consistent with Schifano’s material/multimedia serigraphy.

H.C. – hors commerce
The initials H.C. indicate a hors commerce copy, outside the normal edition intended for sale. H.C. copies were normally reserved for the artist, the printer, the publisher, galleries, or for presentation purposes.

Studio 2R / Rinaldo Rossi
The dry stamp “2r” is a particularly defining element. In Mario Schifano’s graphic production there are documented polytextured serigraphies of 70 × 50 cm with the Studio 2R dry stamp, as well as works printed by Studio 2R / Rinaldo Rossi of Genoa. The comparison makes the framing of the present sheet coherent with that production.

Provenance Rotta Gallery
The back bears the stamp of the Galleria d’Arte R. Rotta in Genoa and the handwritten note “Mario Schifano grafica firmata.” The provenance, together with the 2r dry stamp, the signature, and the H.C. initials, constitutes a documentary and material set of particular interest.

Research of the series
The composition has not been definitively identified with a specific folder or series. Repertoires and catalogs of Schifano / Studio 2R serigraphies were consulted, including the 1995 portfolio of 10 serigraphies printed by Rinaldo Rossi in Genoa. Format, technique, and printer are fully consistent with that production milieu, but no sufficient iconographic correspondence emerged to assign a title or series without forcing it. For this reason the designation “Untitled” remains.

State of conservation
The sheet shows foxing and widespread yellowing, more evident in the lighter areas and along the margins. The legibility of the image and the color intensity remain good. The out-of-frame examination confirmed the absence of further marks, numbers, or inscriptions.