For a range of work that includes everything from illustrating thousands of books and other publications to his role as a visionary glassmaker, Fulvio Bianconi is remembered as one of the most innovative cross-disciplinarian artists of the postwar era.
Born in Ponte di Brenta in 1915, Bianconi showed a prodigious talent for drawing at an early age and, as a teenager, earned money as a portraitist. He also worked as an apprentice decorator in his youth at the Murano glass furnaces, where he first discovered the art of glassmaking.
In 1933, he moved to Milan to pursue a career as a graphic artist, and it was there he met Dino Villani, a painter who had ties to some of Milan’s most prestigious publishing houses and advertising firms. However, at the onset of World War II, Bianconi paused his graphic design ambitions and joined the army. In 1944, he narrowly escaped the infamous Via Rasella Nazi raids in German-occupied Rome.
Following the war, Bianconi went to work designing perfume bottles for the Milan perfume house Giviemme at Venini glassworks, where he worked with glass masters Ermete and Arturo Biassuto. Bianconi became one of Venini’s most influential glass designers — and was appointed artistic director following Carlo Scarpa — known for his bold use of color, modern style and unique, playful designs.
Among Bianconi's most iconic works in glass are the series of glass figures from the Commedia dell’Arte, his remarkably fluid bowls, and the patchwork “Pezzato” technique — his colorful vases created with this technique feature patterns that resemble those of a patchwork quilt. Works made in this fashion caused a sensation at the 25th Venice Biennale in 1950.
Venini co-founder Paolo Venini’s best designs are thought to be his two-color Clessidre hourglasses, produced from 1957 onward, and the Fazzoletto (“handkerchief”) vase, designed with Bianconi in 1949.
Bianconi worked with several other glass studios, including Cenedese in 1954 and Vistosi in 1963, creating decorative vessels, bowls, hourglasses and sculptures. He was also a graphic designer with the Italian publishing house Garzanti for nearly 30 years. Bianconi’s portfolio of graphic design included work for FIAT, Pathé and Pirelli, among others.
Bianconi’s glassworks are held in museum collections worldwide, including London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the Corning Museum of Glass in New York. The artist died in 1996.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Fulvio Bianconi decorative objects, glassware and lighting.
Rare Set of Two Murano Glass Bottles by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini, 1950s
By Fulvio Bianconi, Venini
Located in Milan, IT
Rare set of two bottles with stopper "A Fasce Verticali" by Fulvio Bianconi for Venini.
Murano Glass
Venini Murano Fulvio Bianconi Tiepolo Head Figurine
By Fulvio Bianconi
Located in Uccle, BE
The Commedia dell’arte figurines are one of Fulvio Bianconi's most characteristic productions for Venini. Their creation can be dated around 1947-1948. The series, which originally consisted of twelve models, was exhibited at the 24th Venice Biennale in 1948. It is important to see this series of figurines as a cartoonish reinterpretation of the figurines that were very popular on the island of Murano in the 1930s. We recognize here the ironic touch of the work of Fulvio Bianconi who an illustrator was. Fulvio Bianconi uses here for each figurine a different costume and mask, the base is always made of lattimo glass decorated for polychrome glass costumes. Attitudes are also different for each character. We rarely find the heads of these figurines which were rare productions and out of catalog. Charming objects blown by masters outside the “regular” production. We present here the head of Giangurgolo, a figurine which bore the reference 2900 in the Venini catalog. The basic material of the lattimo glass head, the pink eyes...
Art Glass, Murano Glass
Venini Clessidra Hourglass in Red Straw Yellow Murano Glass
By Paolo Venini, Venini, Fulvio Bianconi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Clessidra hourglass in amber murano glass by Paolo Venini and Fulvio Bianconi. Little grains of sand, impalpable and unnoticeable as a whole yet so real, like time ticking away. In 1...
Murano Glass
Venini Clessidra Hourglass in Sapphire Cipria Pink Murano Glass
By Paolo Venini, Fulvio Bianconi, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Clessidra hourglass in amber murano glass by Paolo Venini and Fulvio Bianconi. Little grains of sand, impalpable and unnoticeable as a whole yet so real, like time ticking away. In 1...
Murano Glass
Venini Fazzoletto Opalino Medium Vase in Milk White Murano Glass
By Fulvio Bianconi, Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fazzoletto Opalino medium vase in Horizon Murano glass by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. An exclusive new take on the Opalini technique from the 15th century makes its color uniqu...
Murano Glass
Venini Fazzoletto Opalino Small Vase in Grey Murano Glass
By Fulvio Bianconi, Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fazzoletto Opalino Small Vase in Amber Murano Glass by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. An exclusive new take on the Opalini technique from the 15t...
Murano Glass
Venini Fazzoletto Opalino Medium Vase in Acquamarine Murano Glass
By Fulvio Bianconi, Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fazzoletto Opalino medium vase in Horizon Murano glass by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. An exclusive new take on the Opalini technique from the ...
Murano Glass
Venini Fazzoletto Opalino Small Vase in Horizon Murano Glass
By Paolo Venini, Fulvio Bianconi, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fazzoletto Opalino small vase in Amber Murano glass by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. An exclusive new take on the Opalini technique from the 15th century makes its color unique. ...
Murano Glass
Fazzoletto Opalino Large Glass Vase in Apple Green by Fulvio Bianconi and Venini
By Fulvio Bianconi, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created from the collaboration between Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini, characterized by a soft shape with a graceful wavy lip, always unique, obtained using the free-hand technique...
Glass
Yellow and Green Glass Bottle by Fulvio Bianconi for Venini.
By Fulvio Bianconi
Located in Montreal, QC
Yellow and Green Glass Bottle by Fulvio Bianconi for Venini. Signed on the underside of the base: Bianconi Venini. Italy: circa 1950 Bianconi’s real contribution to the world of art and design, however, finds its inception in 1947 when the Milanese Paulo Venini...
Glass
Fulvio Bianconi for Venini Fasce Orizzontali Bottle Model 4315 Green Red Glass
By Fulvio Bianconi, Venini
Located in New York, NY
Fulvio Bianconi for Venini Fasce Orizzontali large bottle model 4315 in transparent blue green glass decorated on the body by two horizontal bands in opaq...
Blown Glass
Rare Murano Glass Bottle by Fulvio Bianconi for Vistosi, Italy, 1960s
By Fulvio Bianconi, Vistosi
Located in Milan, IT
Rare Murano glass bottle by Fulvio Bianconi for Vistosi.
Murano Glass
Fulvio Bianconi ‘Primavera’ vase for Mazzega Murano, 1970s
By Mazzega, Fulvio Bianconi
Located in Parma, IT
Extremely rare informal ‘Primavera’ vase designed by Fulvio Bianconi for Mazzega Murano in the 1970s. In transparent glass, with a square mouth. Application of glass paste and irregu...
Murano Glass
Fulvio Bianconi a fasce vase by Cenedese Murano, 1960s
By Cenedese, Fulvio Bianconi
Located in Parma, IT
Fulvio Bianconi for Cenedese Murano a fasce vase from the 1960s. Asymmetrical vase in thick transparent pulegoso glass with colored bands. Unique piece with a distinctive asymmetrica...
Murano Glass
21st Century Ritagli Blown Glass Vase in Grape/Light Pink by Fulvio Bianconi
By Venini, Fulvio Bianconi
Located in murano, IT
This work by Fulvio Bianconi stems from the most innovative glassmaking technique in the 1900s: thin rectangular strips of glass are placed one on top of the other and then hand-applied to a conical base made from blown glass. Shades of Iridescent Green and Aquamarine meet hues of Iridescent Sand and Red in a piece so timeless but dated 1989. Additional Information: Material: Blown Glass Color: Grape/Light Pink...
Blown Glass