Angelo Lelii’s energetic and imaginative floor lamps, sconces and chandeliers often reflected his singular personality — whimsical but practical. He is responsible for some of the most delightfully eye-pleasing but functional works in the history of Italian mid-century modern lighting design.
Lelii was born Paolo Angelo Lelii in the seaport town of Ancona and moved to Milan when he was quite young. Not much is known about his early life — online resources frequently have his last name misspelled “Lelli” — except that he studied at the Superior Institute of Industrial Art in nearby Monza.
While there was no shortage of pioneering work being done in the field of mid-century modern lighting design, Lelii was a visionary whose dream was to create technologically advanced lighting that embodied the simple lines of modern design but would be defined by his own imaginative twists. In 1943, Lelii opened his first workshop in a tiny basement in Monza, under the name Arredoluce. A few years later, he designed the single-light, bent-arm Tris floor lamp. Later that year, he exhibited his Triennale floor lamp at the Milan Triennale VIII and garnered wide acclaim. This iconic, slender lamp features three adjustable arms with enameled aluminum shades.
Lelii’s sculptural fixtures in brass and cast iron appeared in the acclaimed design journal Domus, and he embarked on high-profile collaborations with Italian modernist legends such as Gio Ponti — a giant of architecture and design as well as a founder of Domus — Memphis Group member Ettore Sottsass Jr. and the brothers Castiglioni (formally known as Achille, Pier Giacomo and Livio).
Massive success followed for Arredoluce from the late 1950s and into the 1960s. For Lelii, there was his seminal Stella ceiling lamp, featuring opaque, acid-etched glass globe shades; his minimalist Cobra table lamp, which was one of the world’s first low voltage light fixtures; and his aptly named Eye floor lamp. Lelii continued to oversee design and production at his revolutionary lighting firm until his death in 1979.
Find vintage Angelo Lelii lighting on 1stDibs.
Triennale Polished Chrom Floor Lamp Arredoluce, Triennale Angelo Lelli, Italy
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Buffalo, NY
An iconic floor lamp designed by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce, first exhibited at the Triennale Exposition in Milan in 1951. The Triennale is a sculptural lighting design with tighte...
$32,730
H 39.38 in W 43.31 in D 80.71 in
Vintage Triennale Floor Lamp by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce, 1949
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Roma, IT
Top Rare floor lamp by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce in 1949, beige lacquered metal base and brass, three adjustable arms with adjustable color lacquered shades in various colors. No r...
Marble, Brass, Metal
$17,500Sale Price|22% Off
H 91 in W 48 in D 48 in
Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce Model 12128 Triennale Floor Lamp Brass & White
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Hanover, MA
SATURDAY SALE Arredoluce "Triennale" solid brass floor lamp model 12128 designed by Angelo Lelii in 1947, produced in 1954. One owner. 100% original. Nothing replaced nor added. Ful...
Aluminum, Brass
Italian Floor Lamp by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Gladstone, NJ
Italian floor lamp by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce.
$4,500 / set
H 80 in Dm 13 in
Single Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce Floor Lamp with Adjustable Chrome Shade
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Single Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce Chrome, Black & Marble Floor Lamps with Three Chrome Eyeball Shades. Circa 1970. Featuring rectangular Black e...
Marble, Steel, Chrome
$7,200
H 82 in W 48 in D 48 in
Italian Triennale Floor Lamp Attributed to Gino Sarfatti / Angelo Lelli
By Arredoluce, Gino Sarfatti, Angelo Lelii
Located in Peabody, MA
Three arm "triennale" floor lamp with marble base, circa 1960s. Attributed to Gino Sarfati / Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce. Adjustable arms feature leather sleeved counterweight han...
Marble, Enamel, Chrome
Arredoluce Triennale Floor Lamp with Black Marble Base
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Wichita, KS
This Mid-Century Modern trienalle Floor Lamp by Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce is an amazing feat of design that originates from Italy, circa 1950's. This lamp features a black and...
Marble, Metal
$10,500
H 60 in W 41 in D 41 in
Original Angelo Lelli Triennale Lamp by Arredoluce, Black & White Shades, Chrome
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Iconic Triennale Floor Lamp, designed by Angelo Lelli, manufactured by Arredoluce. A highly functional lighting solution, this sculptural design features three adjustable arms that a...
Chrome
$10,229
H 61.03 in Dm 23.63 in
Arredoluce Triennale Floor Lamp, by Angelo Lelii, model 12128, Italy circa 1947
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Angelo Lelii "Triennale" floor lamp, model 12128 Chrome plated brass stand with lacquered aluminium shades in black, white and grey. Multi adjustable arms with counterweight handles...
Aluminum, Brass, Chrome
$17,392
H 70.87 in W 47.25 in D 31.5 in
Arredoluce 'Triennale' Floor Lamp, designed by Angelo Lelii, circa 1950
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
"Triennale" floor lamp, designed by Angelo Lelii An iconic mid-century classic introduced circa 1950, this example of 50's production by Lelii's own Arredoluce Company based in Monz...
Metal, Brass, Enamel
Angelo Lelii Arredoluce standard floor lamp Italy 1956
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
This minimalist floor lamp, designed by Angelo Lelii and manufactured by Arredoluce in Italy in 1956, is an exquisite example of mid-century lighting design. As an early creation by ...
Marble, Metal
$4,000
H 79 in W 12.5 in D 12.5 in
Mid Century Floor Lamp by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce Made in Italy circa 1950's
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in New York, NY
Classic Mid Century chrome, black and marble floor lamp, designed by Angelo Lelli, made in Italy by Arredoluce, circa 1950's. The lamp features three chrome ball shades, which are movable and mount on magnetic bases, the steel vertical post mounts on a marble disk...
Marble, Steel, Chrome
Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce Rare "Pinguino" Floor Lamp
By Angelo Lelii
Located in New York, NY
Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce rare modernist "Pinguino" floor lamp with large egg-shaped opaline glass diffuser resting on a black enameled metal stem ending on faceted tripod base wit...
Brass, Metal
Angelo Lelii Triennale Floor Lamp, Signed Arredoluce
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Atlanta, GA
Sculptural mid century "Triennale" model floor lamp, Model 12128, designed by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce, Italy, circa 1950s. Signed inside shade - "Made In Italy Arredoluce Monza"....
Metal, Aluminum, Brass, Steel