117 - PAOLO VENINI (Milan, 1895–1959) for VeArt.

PAOLO VENINI (Milan, 1895–1959) for VeArt. Chandelier, c. 1960. Brass and Murano glass. Measurements: 85 x 55 x 55 cm. A ceiling lamp with great sculptural impact, designed around a gilded brass structure from which a radial composition of transparent Murano glass elements unfolds, arranged like flowers or petals. Its organic, flower-inspired silhouette blends with the expansive geometry characteristic of the Sputnik style. Its design synthesizes the formal experimentation of mid-20th-century lighting design with the Venetian artisanal tradition, making the lamp a focal point of the space. A key figure in the revival of Italian art glass, Paolo Venini was a leading designer in Murano glass production, as well as a notable contributor to 20th-century design. Together with Giaccomo Capellin, the owner of an antique shop in Milan, Venini opened a glass factory on the islands of Murano—the historic center of glass production in the Venetian Lagoon—under the name Vetri Soffiati Muranesi Cappellin Venini & Co. Venini himself was involved in the design of several of the firm’s best-known products, including the famous “fazzoletto” (handkerchief) series, which he created with designer Fulvio Bianconi. After Venini’s death in 1959, the company was carried on by other members of the family, only to be sold in 1985.