Round Fontana Arte Mirror by Max Ingrand in Concave Colored Glass, 1963, Italy
View Similar Items
Round Fontana Arte Mirror by Max Ingrand in Concave Colored Glass, 1963, Italy
About the Item
- Creator:Fontana Arte (Manufacturer),Max Ingrand (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 1.78 in (4.5 cm)Diameter: 31.5 in (80 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1963
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Morbio Inferiore, CH
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1042020959802
Fontana Arte
Best known for its elegant and innovative vintage lighting fixtures, the Milan-based firm Fontana Arte pioneered one of the key features of 20th-century and contemporary Italian design: the union of artistry and industry wrought by partnerships between creative talents — chiefly architects — and entrepreneurial businesses. Fontana Arte is further distinguished by having had as artistic director, in succession, four of Italy’s most inventive modernist designers: Gio Ponti, Pietro Chiesa, French transplant Max Ingrand and Gae Aulenti.
The bread and butter of the glassmaking company that Luigi Fontana founded in 1881 was plate-glass panels for the construction industry. In 1930, Fontana met Ponti — then the artistic director of the Richard Ginori ceramics workshop and the editor of the influential magazine Domus — at a biannual design exhibition that became the precursor to today’s Milan Design Triennale, and the two hatched an idea for a furniture and housewares firm. Fontana Arte was incorporated in 1932 with Ponti as its chief of design. He contributed several lamps that remain among the company’s signature works, including the orb-atop-cone Bilia table lamp and the 0024 pendant — a stratified hanging sphere.
The following year, Fontana Arte partnered with the influential Milan studio glassmaker and retailer Pietro Chiesa, who took over as artistic director. Chiesa’s designs for lighting — as well as for tables and items including vases and ashtrays — express an appreciation for fluidity and simplicity of line, as seen in works such as his flute-shaped Luminator floor lamp and the 1932 Fontana table — an arched sheet of glass that is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Six years after Chiesa’s 1948 death, the École des Beaux Arts–trained Max Ingrand took over as head of design at Fontana Arte. Ingrand brought a similarly expressive formal sensibility to wares such as lamps and mirrors, but he also had a masterful eye for the manipulation of glass surfaces — whether they be cut, frosted, acid-etched or sand-blasted. His classic design is the Fontana table lamp of 1954, which has a truncated cone shade and curved body, both of which are made of pure, chic white-frosted glass.
Following Ingrand, the often-audacious Italian architect Gae Aulenti served as the company’s artistic director from 1979 to 1996, and while she generally insisted that furnishings take second place aesthetically to architecture, she made an exception for Fontana Arte pieces such as the Tavolo con Ruote series of glass coffee and dining tables on wheels, bold lighting pieces such as the Parola series and the Giova, a combination flower vase and table lamp. As a key incubator of modern design under Aulenti’s tenure, Fontana Arte remained true to its long-held commitment — creating objects that have never been less than daring.
Find vintage Fontana Arte lighting fixtures such as pendants, table lamps and more on 1stDibs.
- Fontana Arte Mirror by Max IngrandBy Fontana Arte, Max IngrandLocated in Dronten, NLA stunning mirror with 2 integrated lights by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte. The lights are designed with a typical Max Ingrand beveled emerald green base and a white colored glass shade. They are fitted with standard E14 sockets suitable for worldwide use. This beautiful piece came from a mid-century modern villa in Sicily, Italy. The late owner was an avid collector of Italian design by Tobia Scarpa, Gio Ponti, Achile Castiglioni and others. Max Ingrand (1908-1969) was a distinguished French-Italian artist and designer whose creative influence extended across various fields. He is celebrated for his exceptional contributions to the world of glasswork, lighting, and interior design. Ingrand's career was marked by a deep appreciation for the interplay of light and material, and his innovative designs often focused on the harmonious integration of glass and light. His iconic light fixtures, particularly those designed for Fontana Arte, are still revered for their timeless elegance and the way they manipulate light to create a captivating ambiance. In addition to his lighting designs, Ingrand also made substantial contributions to stained glass art...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsMirror, Murano Glass
- Mirror by Max Ingrand for Fontana ArteBy Fontana Arte, Max IngrandLocated in Los Angeles, CARare glass mirror by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte. Made in Milan circa 1950s. Franco Deboni, Fontana Arte: Gio Ponti, Pietro Chiesa, Max Ingrand...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Wall Mirrors
MaterialsGlass, Mirror
- Mid-Century Modern Round Fontana Arte Mirror by Max Ingrand, Italy, 1960sBy Fontana Arte, Max IngrandLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern Round Fontana Arte mirror by Max Ingrand, Italy, 1960s Designer Biography : "Max Ingrand was born in 1908 ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsGlass
- Max Ingrand Mirror Fontana Arte Round Illuminated Flower, Italy, circa 1964By Max Ingrand, Fontana ArteLocated in Vienna, ATRare 23" Illuminating mirror with bevelled edges by Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte, circa 1964 Backlit round petal mirror by the glass artist Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte. As every piece by Max Ingrand the delicacy of formal composition and idea of glass and light are stressed radically. The mirror consists of handmade small glass petals radiating around the actual central mirror. The mirror engulfs its surrounding in an intricate play of light and shadow. A beautiful decorative piece in very good original condition by one of the most inventive masters of light/design. Measurements: 23.22" x 3.5" Provenance: derives from a private collection, Milan, Italy. Literature: Domus, December 1956 Luci e trasparenze Fontana Arte 1930...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsGlass, Mirror
- Ovoid Mirror by Max Ingrand for Fontana ArteBy Max Ingrand, Fontana ArteLocated in New York, NYModel #2085. Ovoid shaped mirror with thick blue-glass surround, beveled edges and brass mounts. Published in Fontana Arte 6, makers catalog.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsGlass
- Asymmetrical Mirror by Max Ingrand for Fontana ArteBy Fontana Arte, Max IngrandLocated in London, GBRare asymmetric mirror by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte. Glass is beautiful grey colour Fontana label verso.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsGlass, Mirror