La Capannina

Italian architect and furniture designer Maurizio Tempestini is well-known among vintage outdoor furniture aficionados for his sculptural Clamshell line and other elegant mid-century modern furnishings for patios and gardens.

Born in Florence in 1908, Tempestini completed his studies in Industrial Decoration at the Porta Romana Art Institute in 1929. His career as an interior architect and furniture and lighting designer flourished during the early 1930s. It was during this time Tempestini was also active as a set designer for several Italian theater productions, including Mario Massa’s Osteria degli immortali and Luigi Bonelli’s comedy Il Gigli.

Tempestini then turned his attention from the stage to designing furniture and decorative objects. He crafted pieces for ceramics factory Cantagalli in Florence, as well as for Murano glass manufacturers Seguso and Cappellin.

In 1934, Tempestini worked on the external renovation of the Palazzo delle Esposizioni at the Parterre di San Gallo in Florence for the Littoriali Exhibition. Later, in 1938, he formed a studio with architects Nello Baroni and Pietro Porcinai before cofounding the legendary postwar Italian lighting maker Arteluce with designer and engineer Gino Sarfatti in 1939.

During the 1950s, Tempestini designed lighting fixtures for Lightolier and began to collaborate with Brooklyn, New York’s John B. Salterini Company. Salterini was an Italian emigree who initially worked in journalism before becoming an eminent producer of high-end wrought-iron furniture.

Tempestini’s modernist outdoor furniture for Salterini resembled indoor seating manufactured by the likes of Knoll or Artifort — his chairs and other seating boasted organic curves and seductive, unconventional shapes. His work complemented Salterini’s own handmade designs, which reflected Gothic Revival and Art Deco influences. Together the designers produced successful lines of garden and patio furniture for Salterini’s eponymous firm.

Tempestini’s name soon became widely known in the United States. His designs were first introduced to the American public in 1951 through Gimbels Department Store and Suniland Furniture in Houston, Texas. Today his bold and stylish patio furniture remains sought after by collectors everywhere.

On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Maurizio Tempestini garden elements, lounge chairs and tables.

When paired with the perfect frame, the right antique and vintage paintings and other wall decorations can either subtly showcase your personality or steal the show altogether. 

The earliest paintings were created on the walls of caves, proving even our ancient ancestors knew that striking artwork is meant to be on display. Cave paintings on an Indonesian island are reportedly older than the earliest cave art in Spain and France, and the figurative paintings back then were produced with inorganic pigments like iron oxide.

Later, the people of Ancient Greece — who learned about art from the Egyptians before them — conceived panel paintings of wax and tempera that were collected and publicly displayed. In the centuries that followed, artists would be commissioned to create large-scale wall murals and frescoed ceilings in sprawling European palaces and in the homes of the aristocracy.

Today, 1stDibs makes it easy for you to celebrate this rich history in your own home. Our collection of paintings includes Art Deco paintings, baroque art and a broad range of other categories. Search by material, period or other attributes to find the right fit — browse an array of 19th century landscape paintings in giltwood frames or abstract oil paintings and portraits made during the 1950s and ‘60s.

An understated contemporary work can complement your space’s color palette without drawing the focus away from the other pivotal design choices you’ve made over the years. Roy Lichtenstein’s Pop art, on the other hand, demands attention with its array of vibrant hues and subjects inspired by popular culture. 

Whether you aim to create a gallery in your home or build a single, stunning focal point, you can find what you’re looking for in an extensive inventory of paintings on 1stDibs.