Lucio Fontana (1899–1968) was an Argentine-Italian painter, sculptor, and theorist. Known as the founder of Spatialism, he was a pioneering exponent of postwar abstraction and the first known artist to slash his canvases—an act that symbolized a radical rejection of traditional artistic conventions.

Fontana’s works are held in the world’s foremost institutions, including MoMA, Tate, Centre Pompidou, and the Museo del Novecento in Milan, reflecting his enduring influence on conceptual and minimalist art.