Antinoo Mondrian

Daniele Fortuna - Antinoo Mondrian

Daniele Fortuna's work “Antinoo Mondrian,” measuring 45x44x29 cm, is a sculpture that combines elements of classical sculpture and the aesthetics of modern art with great originality. Made of wood and painted with acrylics, this work depicts the figure of Antinous, a young man and favorite of Emperor Hadrian, often immortalized in ancient art for his idealized beauty.

In this sculpture, Fortuna depicts Antinous with his typical serene expression and curly hair, evoking classical Greco-Roman busts, but with a layered construction technique that gives the figure a fragmented effect. The classical bust is interrupted by an abstract pattern clearly inspired by the works of Piet Mondrian, with its typical grid of black lines enclosing rectangles of primary colors: red, yellow, blue, and white. This visual contrast creates an interesting fusion between the geometric rigidity of abstract art and the softness of classical forms.

The title itself, “Antinoo Mondrian,” underscores the artist's desire to bring into dialogue two seemingly opposite worlds: that of the idealization of the human figure in antiquity and that of abstraction and rationalization of form in modern art. This fusion of eras and styles is central to Fortuna's work, which explores how the past and the present can coexist, generating new meanings.

Wood, once again the artist's preferred material, is transformed into a medium that challenges perception, leading the viewer to reflect on the overlap of visual languages and the evolution of art history.

Daniele Fortuna, Antinoo Mondrian: Price and Value

Feel free to contact us to receive more information about Daniele Fortuna's work, Antinoo Mondrian and other works by the artist for sale.

Make yourself a part of the wonders of art through the wide selection of works available on our site.

Daniele Fortuna - Antinoo Mondrian - 2024 - Unique Work

Daniele Fortuna - Artist biography

Daniele Fortuna, artist born in Milan in 1981, since his early teenage, thanks to his passion for art, visited artist studios and art galleries among the most important of the city. He studied at the IED (European Institute of Design) in Milan, cultivating a strong interest in art and design.

He then moved for study and work in Ireland, in the south-east, near Dublin. There he worked in a lighting studio, where his interest in wood, the material that will be the foundation of his sculptures, was born. From the technique of carving, wood could in fact be composed in different shapes and patterns allowing the artist to give plastic shape to his ideas.

After finishing his studies in Ireland, he returned to Italy and began to create his first works. His art began to take shape and he created his first works in wood, paintings formed by wooden pieces shaped, coloured and then assembled like parts of a puzzle. Later he will move on to three-dimensional compositions, at first subjects from the animal world and then icons of the classical Greek-Roman combined with colours and traits of contemporary Pop.

Sculpture and colour in Daniele Fortuna artworks

From his parents' collection of paintings, Daniele Fortuna began to admire the materials they were made of and their proportions. He began to imagine the story behind those paintings and what had led the artist to their creation. Thus, an attraction was born for those objects, for their shapes and colours: the artist was attracted by De Chirico's timelessness, Sassu's inflamed red and Fontana's gestures.

Daniele Fortuna's sculptures are made of wood painted with acrylic paint, thus combining the plastic, material feature of wood with colour, a key element of the artist's aesthetic. Hence the word "colormination", a neologism that refers to the chromatic contamination of classical busts that occurs in his art. The word comes from "domination", a strong term, but combined with colour that renews its meaning.

And the colours that dominate range from pastel tones to fluorescent, metallic and even glittering shades; even works that at first glance seem white sometimes hide multi-coloured chasms.

Wood: a "living" material

Using the artist's own words:

"Wood was a material that I already felt was mine. I find it a 'warm' material because, when you touch it, you feel that it has that kind of porosity even though I paint it. And this being 'warm' represents me because I am a very convivial person, a person of companionship. Wood, then, is also alive because it expands and shrinks, it really has a life of its own."

But even though wood is his favourite material, Daniele Fortuna has also experimented with plexiglass, mirrors and concrete, combining art with his studies as designer.

A bridge between classical and contemporary Pop

Fortuna's sculptures have as their starting point classical subjects, Greco-Roman busts that are recreated in wood, with a technique that juxtaposes several staggered levels, almost recalling a digital reproduction.

In addition, a wide range of pop and contemporary iconography invades the works, drawing from the works of big names, such as Maurizio Cattelan and Takashi Murakami, to the logos of famous fashion designers; from world-famous brands to characters from cartoons, comics and films; from famous people, such as Albert Einstein, to references to the world of music, in particular that of Queen.

Combining bright and pop colours with classical shapes, he creates a bridge between past and present, bringing classic subjects back to their original form. Originally, in fact, the very statues of classicism were coloured but, for centuries, were mistakenly believed to be white due to the deterioration of the original pigments. In a way, Daniele Fortuna implements a return to the past through contemporaneity.

"If you look at the whole history of art, there has always been a remaking of something that already existed before; and so, instead of looking for absolute originality, in my opinion we need to focus on what we have (also because anyway the cultural background we have is fantastic and it is to be paid homage to) and make it more contemporary by updating it."

Daniele Fortuna's sculptures for sale online with prices and value on Deodato Arte

If you are interested in the artist, you can find Daniele Fortuna's works for sale online in our website. The works are signed in original by the artist and provided with certificate of authenticity.

If you are interested in knowing about Daniele Fortuna's prices, value or which works will be on display at the Deodato Arte Contemporary Art Gallery, do not hesitate to contact us by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

The artwork is delicate and requires a custom-made wooden box to protect it during transportation. Delivery to EU countries takes 5-15 business days.

For deliveries outside the EU there may be a clearance delay at customs. Contact [email protected] to receive an estimate of possible customs delays.

The shipping cost is calculated before payment. The cost of the box and packaging is included in the shipping cost.

For more information, please visit our Shipping Methods, Returns and Refunds.

By registering you can download a template of the certificate of authenticity and/or HD image. Register and make the page reload.

We are happy that you decided to buy an artwork. We'll explain how to do it, but always remember that you can also buy via email ([email protected]), by phone (+39 02.80886294) or by physically coming to one of our galleries.

PRICE

If the price is visible in the product fiche you can click "ADD TO CART" and proceed autonomously choosing later how to pay and how you like shipping (or pick-up it in one of our store).

If the price is not visible, you must press the "SHOW PRICE" button, so you will receive an email with the price and a button, "DON'T LOOSE IT, BUY NOW": if the price is right for you click on this button and you will be sent back to the site to complete the purchase.

TAX

if you LIVE IN EU

If you live in Europe (CEE) the price we show you already includes taxes. The works are taxed either with VAT exposed (22%) or VAT with the margin, if you are a private person you do not change anything, if you are a company: in In the first case, you will recover the VAT, in the second, no. When you put the works in the cart you will be separated from the vat exposed.

If you DON'T LIVE IN EU and you want an EXTRA EU shipping

Many works (not all) have an exposed VAT of 22% included in the price, this vat will be spun off! Obviously you will pay the VAT to your destination country, if due. For example if you live in Switzerland you save 22% but you will have to pay 8.1% to your customs, if you live in Hong Kong you will save 22% and you will not have to pay anything to your customs (lucky you).

SHIPPING

Shipments are insured, check the product fiche for more information, or write to [email protected]. For works in stock the delivery time for Italy is three working days, before placing your order please contact us via email ([email protected]) or by phone (+39 02.80886294) to check availability. 

PAYMENT

If you complete the purchase on the site you can use a credit card, or you can make a bank transfer. Payment in cash is accepted up to 5,000 euros physically in one of our stores. Payments in BitCoin or cryptocurrencies are NOT accepted.