Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
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.
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Chrome
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Nickel
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Mirror
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Bronze
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Chrome
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass, PVC
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Aluminum
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Chrome
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Nickel, Chrome, Metal, Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Nickel, Chrome, Metal, Aluminum
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Chrome
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
1950s Italian Other Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Chrome
1950s Italian Other Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
2010s Italian Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Aluminum
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Brass
1960s Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Art Deco Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Chrome
1950s Italian Other Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
1950s Italian Other Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
1950s European Other Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Stainless Steel
20th Century Italian Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Bronze
1990s Italian Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Steel, Metal
1970s Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
1950s European Other Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Crystal, Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Murano Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Other Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Glass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Steel
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Marble, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fontana Arte Wall Lights and Sconces
Chrome, Metal
Fontana Arte wall lights and sconces for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Fontana Arte
- 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 19, 2025Painting is the type of art that made Lavinia Fontana famous. Specifically, the 16th-century Bolognese artist became widely known for her portraiture; from her commissions, she could financially support her entire family. Some of her best-known works include Portrait of a Noblewoman and Portrait of the Gozzadini Family. On 1stDibs, shop a diverse assortment of fine art.