For Frieze Masters 2023, Robilant+Voena offers a presentation of two halves, juxtaposing Old Master paintings from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, with Modern masterpieces by the most significant artists from the twentieth century with a focus on the gallery’s specialism of postwar Italian art. To create these comparisons, the artworks are grouped by type: paintings and works on canvas, works on paper, ceramics and textiles, and sculpture. The display concludes with selected contemporary works by Barry X Ball and Sergio Roger, that provide captivating twenty-first century interpretations of classical and Renaissance sculpture, bringing the presentation full circle. 

Representing the Old Master expertise of the gallery is a Leonardesque painting by Fernando Yáñez de la Almedina, alongside a Baroque masterpiece by Andrea Vaccaro, a self-portrait by Luca Giordano, and a pair of paintings by Michele Desubleo. A recently rediscovered testa di fantasia by Giandomenico Tiepolo depicting the great philosopher Socrates is complemented by an exquisite head study by Anne-Louis Girodet. These masterful oil paintings are joined by works by postwar Italian artists such as Lucio Fontana, Alberto Burri, Agostino Bonalumi and Enrico Castellani, that venture beyond the conventional limits of the canvas. A décollage by Mimmo Rotella and bold painting by Mario Schifano reflect the ways in which Italian artists responded to a burgeoning consumer society and incorporated elements of the Pop aesthetic into their work. 

Alongside these canvas works, our booth includes a significant selection of works on paper by pre-eminent artists of the twentieth century, including Giacomo Balla, Giorgio Morandi, Pablo Picasso, Yves Klein and Cy Twombly. An vibrant piece by Sam Francis emphasises the expressive potential of this medium. 

The varied mediums used by Italian postwar artists is reflected in an exquisite ceramic by Fontana and an arrazo by Alighiero Boetti. Examples of Bonalumi’s bronze sculptures further highlight the dynamism of Italian Spatialism during this period. 

A contemporary coda to our presentation is provided by sculptural works by Barry X Ball and Spanish artist Sergio Roger, both of whom look to Italy’s rich artistic heritage as the foundation of their creative practice, offering sensitive and striking conceptions of historic pieces.