Lucio Fontana in Museums: Guide to Major Collections

Lucio Fontana in Museums Worldwide: Where to Admire His Works

Lucio Fontana is the most represented Italian artist in museums worldwide.

Global presence: Works in hundreds of museums worldwide
Major institutions: MoMA, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, Guggenheim
Collection records: 70 lithographs at the British Museum, 53 works at Centre Pompidou
In Italy: Presence in all major modern and contemporary art museums

It would be a truly arduous undertaking to list all the international museums in which Lucio Fontana's works are present. We therefore provide a list of the most important museum institutions that can boast works by the Master from Rosario de Santa Fe in their collections.

The Great International Museums

MoMA

New York, 11 West 53 Street, Manhattan

The MoMA in New York, probably the most important museum in the world for modern and contemporary art, possesses 20 works by Fontana.

Visit the MoMA collection →

Tate Modern

Londra, Bankside

The Tate Modern in London possesses, in its collection, 4 works by Lucio Fontana.

Among these is an iconic Concetto spaziale, Attesa - (Spatial Concept, Waiting) (1960), donated to the museum by collector Charles (Carlo) Damiano (1895–1969), the long-serving head of the Central Buying Office of Pirelli in London. Damiano, of Argentine origins like Fontana himself, met him in Milan in 1951 and was, between 1960 and 1965, the principal promoter of his critical reputation in the English-speaking world. Held in the Tate Gallery archives is a letter from Fontana dated July 9, 1965, in which the artist explains the meaning of the donated work, linking it to his research on the fourth dimension begun with the Manifiesto Blanco of 1946.

Visit the Tate Modern collection →

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

New York, 71 Fifth Avenue

There are 6 works by Lucio Fontana present in the Guggenheim in New York.

Visit the Guggenheim collection →

Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Venezia, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Dorsoduro 701

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice possesses 5 works by Fontana.

Visit the Peggy Guggenheim collection →

Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (S.M.A.K.)

Gand, Jan Hoetplein 1

The S.M.A.K., the most important museum of modern and contemporary art in Belgium, counts 3 works by Lucio Fontana within its collection.

Visit the S.M.A.K. collection →

Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

Tokyo, Koto

Within the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT) it is possible to admire one of the 38 works belonging to the 'End Of God' cycle.

Visit the MOT collection →

Other Major International Museums

Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes

Buenos Aires, Av. Del Libertador 1473

The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires houses in its collection 4 works by Lucio Fontana, among which a germinal "slash" from 1959 and a work belonging to the Natures cycle.

Visit the collection →

Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea

Roma, Viale delle Belle Arti 131

The GNAMC, Galleria Nazionale d'arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome (new name for GNAM), counts in its permanent collection 13 works by Lucio Fontana, in addition to manuscripts and various documentation regarding the genius from Rosario de Santa Fe.

Visit the GNAMC collection →

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

Madrid, Calle Santa Isabel 52

The Reina Sofía museum, a true world institution for art from the beginning of the 20th century to today, holds 6 works by Fontana. Among these, one from the 'End Of God' cycle.

Visit the Reina Sofía collection →

British Museum

Londra, Great Russell Street

The British Museum, one of the largest and most important museums in the world, includes in its permanent collection no fewer than 70 lithographs by Master Fontana.

Visit the British Museum collection →

Museo del Novecento

Milano, Piazza del Duomo 8

At the Museo del 900 in Milan there is a room entirely dedicated to Lucio Fontana; the two installations 'Soffitto spaziale' and 'Struttura al Neon per la IX Triennale di Milano' are present, in addition to works executed between 1951 and 1962.

Visit the Fontana Room →

Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, South Michigan Avenue 111

The Art Institute of Chicago, the second art museum in the USA, includes in its collection 8 works by the Italian-Argentine artist.

Visit the Art Institute collection →

Lucio Fontana in Italian Museums

Works by Lucio Fontana are present in almost all the most important modern and contemporary art museums in Italy. Many museums of lesser importance also include works by Fontana in their collections. Below we mention the most important ones.

Widespread presence: Fontana is represented in major Italian museums from north to south
Permanent collections: MART, Madre, GAM, MAMbo and many others
Dedicated rooms: The Museo del Novecento in Milan hosts a room entirely dedicated to the artist