A J.L.B., 1965

Archive number

GPO-0087

English title

To J.L.B.

Technique

Shaped, painted and carved wood

Dimensions

202 x 200 x 19.5 cm

Collection

Museu Coleção Berardo, Lisbon

Acquisitions and loans

Acquired in 1996, inventory no. 100-430

Description

The pyramid shape, painted in silver enamel on both sides and carved to look as though it has steps, simulates a perspective towards infinity, where the progressive loss of the depth of the steps upwards reproduces the gradual diminishment of the visibility of a fixed point at an infinite distance. At the same time, the profile of the work devoted to Jorge Luis Borges replicates that of an optical pyramid.
The work was made in another version during the same year, distinguished by its static autonomy, ensured by the first step that serves as a base, as well as by the carvings and silver painting made on both sides (GPO-0086).

Exhibitions

1965	Turin, Galleria Notizie, Giulio Paolini, from 11 November, cited in the checklist of exhibited works, repr.
1988	Paris, Galerie Di Meo, Accardi, Castellani, Fontana, Manzoni, Melotti, Nigro, Paolini, Twombly, 17 June - 23 July.
1992-93	Paris, Galerie Di Meo, Giulio Paolini. Œuvres de 1963 à 1978, 27 November 1992 - 30 January 1993, cited in the checklist of exhibited works no. 4 p. 66, col. repr. p. 23; exhibited only until the beginning of January.
1993	London, Hayward Gallery, Gravity & Grace. The changing condition of Sculpture 1965-1975, 21 January - 14 March, repr. p. 71, cited also in the exhibition guide.
1999	Lisbon, Centro Cultural de Belém, Colecção Berardo Collection 1917-1999, 28 January - 27 August, cited in the checklist of exhibited works no. 188 p. 242, col. repr.
2005	Madeira, Centro das Artes Casa das Mudas, Arte povera na Colecção Berardo, 15 October - 31 December, no catalogue.

Artist’ writings

•	G. Paolini in G. Celant, Giulio Paolini (New York: Sonnabend Press, 1972), pp. 70, 72; republished in Giulio Paolini 1960-1972, edited by Id. (Milan: Fondazione Prada, 2003), p. 232; reprint (Cinisello Balsamo: Silvana Editoriale, 2019).

Bibliography

•	G. Celant, “Crónica de Italia. Giulio Paolini y Piero Dorazio”, in Forma nueva el inmueble 14 (Madrid), March, p. 64, repr. p. 63; republished as “Prima della ‘pittura’, Giulio Paolini”, in Marcatrè 30-33 (Milan), July, 1967, p. 269, not repr., and later in Giulio Paolini 1960-1972, edited by Id. (Milan: Fondazione Prada, 2003), p. 208.
•	L. Vergine, Il corpo come linguaggio (La “Body Art” e storie simili) (Milan: Giampaolo Prearo Editore, 1974), repr. p. 88.
•	M. Fagiolo, “Glossario”, in Giulio Paolini (Parma: Università di Parma, Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione, 1976), p. 32, repr. no. 48.
•	A.C. Quintavalle, “Paolini: scritture”, ibid., p. 55.
•	Arte in Italia 1960-1977. Dall’opera al coinvolgimento. L’opera: simboli e immagini. La linea analitica, exhibition catalogue, Turin, Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna, 1977, p. 172 (referred to in the text by F. Menna, La linea analitica dell’arte moderna), repr. p. 215.
•	Giulio Paolini. Werke und Schriften 1960-1980 (Lucerne: Kunstmuseum Luzern, 1981), repr. n. pag.
•	Giulio Paolini, vol. Images/Index (Villeurbanne: Le Nouveau Musée, 1984), repr. p. 20.
•	S. Vertone, “Non tutto qui”, in Giulio Paolini. “Tutto qui”, exhibition catalogue, Ravenna, Pinacoteca Comunale, Loggetta Lombardesca (Ravenna: Agenzia Editoriale Essegi, 1985), p. 30, repr. no. I p. 31.
•	G. Inboden, “Giulio Paolini – Triumph des Modells der Repräsentation”, in Giulio Paolini, exhibition catalogue, Stuttgart, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, 1986, vol. 1, p. 20, repr.
•	G. Paolini, Suspense. Breve storia del vuoto in tredici stanze (Florence: Hopeful Monster editore, 1988), repr. p. 168.
•	D. Soutif, “La famille pauvre”, in Artstudio 13 (Paris), Summer, 1989, repr. p. 15.
•	F. Poli, “Note di lettura”, in Id., Giulio Paolini (Turin: Lindau, 1990), p. 28, repr. no. 9; republished in Giulio Paolini. Von heute bis gestern / Da oggi a ieri, exhibition catalogue, Graz, Neue Galerie im Landesmuseum Joanneum (Ostfildern-Ruit: Cantz Verlag, 1998), p. 45.
•	M. Disch, “Giulio Paolini. Hors-d’œuvre”, in Giulio Paolini. La voce del pittore – Scritti e interviste 1965-1995, edited by Id. (Lugano: ADV Publishing House, 1995), p. 91, not repr.
•	Giulio Paolini. Von heute bis gestern / Da oggi a ieri, op. cit. (Ostfildern-Ruit: 1998), col. repr. p. 209.
•	N. Bätzner, Arte Povera. Zwischen Erinnerung und Ereignis: Giulio Paolini, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Jannis Kounellis (Nuremberg: Verlag für moderne Kunst, 2000), pp. 57, 59, repr. p. 56.
•	Giulio Paolini 1960-1972, op. cit. (Milan: 2003), col. repr. p. 141.
•	M. Disch, Giulio Paolini. Catalogo ragionato 1960-1999, vol. 1 (Milan: Skira editore, 2008), cat. no. 87 p. 117, col. repr.
•	M. Dantini, Geopolitiche dell'arte (Milan: Christian Marinotti Edizioni, 2012), repr. p. 91.
•	C. Lonzi, Autoportrait, edited by G. Zapperi (Paris-Zurich: La Maison Rouge and JRP\|Ringier, 2012), p. 50, not repr.
•	D. Viva, “La storia in abisso. Letteratura, fotografia e passato”, in S. Bann et al., Il passato al presente. In tema 2 (Turin-Mantua: Fondazione Giulio e Anna Paolini and Corraini Edizioni, 2016), p. 66, col. repr. p. 64.
•	Coleção Berardo 1909-2019 (Lisbona: Museo Coleção Berardo, 2022), col. repr. no. 359 p. 542.
•	F. Belloni, “Il tutto nell’uno. Giulio Paolini e Jorge Luis Borges”, in Prospettiva 186 (Siena), April, 2022 [sic!, June, 2023], p. 78, col. repr. no. 3 p. 79.

Entry by Maddalena Disch, 30/01/2026