Gaetano Pesce was of a generation of Italian architects who in the early 1960s rebelled against the industrial perfection of modernism by conceiving new furniture and objects that were at once expressive and eccentric in form; or you might say they were more like art than functionalist design.
Born in the picturesque coastal Italian city of La Spezia in 1939, Pesce was a precocious talent who could have forged a career as an artist but opted instead to go to Venice to study architecture because, as he has said, it was “the most complex of all the arts.” Rather than having new worlds opened to him at design school, however, Pesce found the rationalist curriculum oppressive in its insistence on standardization and prescribed materials and technologies.
Pesce wanted to explore the latest of both materials and technologies to create objects and buildings never before imagined, with what he called “personalities” that spoke to the issues of the day. He was keen to examine ways to diversify mass production so that each manufactured work could be distinct.
In 1964, Pesce met Cesare Cassina, of the forward-looking furniture company C&B Italia in Milan (now known as B&B Italia), for whom he would create many important designs, beginning with a collection of what he called “transformational furniture” — two chairs and a loveseat — made entirely out of high-density polyurethane foam. To make the pieces easy to ship and cost-efficient, he proposed that after being covered in a stretch jersey, they be put in a vacuum, then heat-sealed flat between vinyl sheets. Once the foam was removed from its packaging, the piece returned to its original shape — hence, the name Up for the series, which debuted in 1969.
In addition to these pieces, Pesce proposed for the collection something he referred to as an “anti-armchair,” which took the shape of a reclining fertility goddess, the iconic Donna.
Producing the piece's complex form turned out to be a technical challenge. Bayer, the foam’s manufacturer, deemed it impossible to accomplish. Pesce persisted and came up with a new procedure, demonstrating not only the designer’s key role in researching the nature and potential of new materials but also his vital importance in “doubting rules.” The Up chair and accompanying ottoman were born, and they were revolutionary in more ways than one.
In the early 1970s, Pesce began exploring one of his key concepts, the idea of the industrial originals. Employing a mold without air holes, and adding a blood-red dye to the polyurethane, he cast a bookcase that resembled a demolished wall, the rough edges of the shelves and posts resulting from fissures in the material made by trapped air.
Through his research into polyurethane, Pesce figured out a way to make a loveseat and armchair using only a simple wood frame and strong canvas covering as a mold. Since the fabric developed random folds during the injection process, the pieces were similar but not identical. Cassina named the suite of furnishings Sit Down and introduced it in 1975. By experimenting with felt soaked in polyurethane and resin, Pesce conceived I Feltri, another collection of armchairs introduced by Cassina in 1987.
Pesce went on to live a life that defied expectation and convention and along the way became one of the most seminal figures in art and design.
Find vintage Gaetano Pesce chairs, sofas, vases and more on 1stDibs.
Set of Four Gaetano Pesce ‘Dalila’ Red Armless Outdoor Chairs for Cassina
By Cassina, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
This set of four Dalila armless outdoor chairs designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina presents a striking contemporary reinterpretation of one of the designer’s most emblematic and ar...
Plastic
Gaetano Pesce Feltri Felt Armchair for Cassina, Wool Upholstery, Italy
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Gaetano Pesce Feltri Felt Chair For Cassina Crafted using a patented Cassina production technique, Feltri is a symbol of cutting-edge design, the...
Polyester
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Ochre Velvet, Italy
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Fabric
Senzafine Seat Armchair in Polyurethane Green by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Colourful tangles giving life to a geometric and dynamic seating. A series of joyfully inconsistent seats, a manifesto of Meritalia’s pop-modern identity. Senzafine - Italian for “e...
Plastic
$17,550 / item
Montanara Armchair by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Montanara armchair evokes a poetic mountain landscape—its sweeping, snow-white contours and printed textile upholstery conjure peaks, rocks and alpine skies in an indoor setting....
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce ‘Dalila’ Red Outdoor Armchair for Cassina
By Gaetano Pesce, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The Dalila armchair designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina is a striking outdoor reinterpretation of one of the designer’s most emblematic and artistically significant seating concept...
Plastic
Gaetano Pesce Feltri Chair for Cassina, Wool Upholstery, Modern Design
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Gaetano Pesce Feltri Felt Chair For Cassina Crafted using a patented Cassina production technique, Feltri is a symbol of cutting-edge design, the...
Polyester
Original Shadow Armchair by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia, Postmodern Icon
By Michel Ducaroy, Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce, Ligne Roset
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Shadow armchair by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia is a highly collectible iconic masterpiece of Post Modern Design. The chair "deconstructed". Designed a...
Leather, Upholstery, Latex, Resin
$6,671Sale Price|30% Off
Sit Down armchair designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina 1975
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Sit Down armchair designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina in 1975. Steel frame, molded plywood, cold-injected polyurethane, quilted polyester wadding fabric. Good condition, chair has ...
Steel
" UP 5 " by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia Red Armchair with Ottoman 1970s
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
NOT A 2000 SERIES Since its first appearance, the Up Series, designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce, has been one of the most talked about examples of modern furniture design. The excep...
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce Feltri Felt Armchair for Cassina, Wool Upholstery, Italy
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Gaetano Pesce Feltri Felt Chair For Cassina Crafted using a patented Cassina production technique, Feltri is a symbol of cutting-edge design, the result ...
Polyester
Armchair and Footstool UP5_6 by Gaetano Pesce for Superego Editions, Italy
By Gaetano Pesce, Superego Editions
Located in Asti, Piemonte
A large patinated bronze armchair casted with lost wax method with spherical footstool also known by the name 'Donna', foam model designed in 1969 by C & B, from 2012 limited edition...
Bronze
Gaetano Pesce ‘Dalila’ Blue Outdoor Armchair for Cassina
By Gaetano Pesce, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The Dalila armchair designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina is a striking outdoor reinterpretation of one of the designer’s most emblematic and artistically significant seating concept...
Plastic
Gli Amici Printed Cotton Fabled Armchair by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fabled creatures that make up a modular sofa. Sculptural and functional objects to characterize a light-hearted interior, and transform every room into an unforgettable adventure. G...
Cotton
Gaetano Pesce ‘Dalila’ Blue Armless Outdoor Chair for Cassina
By Gaetano Pesce, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The Dalila armless chair designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina is a striking outdoor reinterpretation of one of the designer’s most emblematic and artistically significant seating co...
Plastic
"Big Mama" Armchair & Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brussels, BE
"Big Mama" Armchair & Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
Fabric
Set of 2 Gaetano Pesce Dalila Beige Armless Outdoor Chairs for Cassina
By Gaetano Pesce, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The Dalila armless chair designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina is a striking outdoor reinterpretation of one of the designer’s most emblematic and artistically significant seating co...
Plastic
$6,909 / item
Gaetano Pesce ‘Dalila’ Armchair for Cassina
By Gaetano Pesce, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The Dalila armchair designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina is a striking reinterpretation of one of the designer’s most emblematic and artistically significant seating concepts. Devel...
Plastic
Meritalia Shadow White Armchair Padded in Soft Polyurethane Foam, Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Shadow armchair by Gaetano Pesce by Meritalia is moldless. It’s the result of a manufacturing process developed and perfected by Meritalia: the armchair is shaped with the inject...
Fabric
$11,466 / item
La Pagnottina Armchair by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Radical ideas and manufacturing wisdom: the perfect recipe to engineer comfort in the form of a chair. Legs in carbon fiber and upholstery in fresh printed cotton. The Pagnottina ch...
Cotton, Carbon Fiber
$35,846 / item
Gaetano Pesce Set of Three Feltri Felt Chair For Cassina
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Gaetano Pesce Set of Three Feltri Felt Chair For Cassina Crafted using a patented Cassina production technique, Feltri is a symbol of cutting-edge design, the result of representati...
Polyester
Nobody’s Queen Chair, Gaetano Pesce for Zerodisegno, 2003
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Created by Italian architect and designer Gaetano Pesce, the Nobody’s Queen Chair is a striking example of his long-standing exploration of individuality, material experimentation, a...
Resin
$2,382 / item
UP1 armchair Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia 1969
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Milano, Lombardia
The UP1 Armchair, designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia, represents one of the most significant design icons of the 20th century. This armchair is part of the celebrated U...
Fabric
Set of 2 Gaetano Pesce Dalila Blue Armless Outdoor Chairs for Cassina
By Gaetano Pesce, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
This pair of Dalila armless outdoor chairs designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina presents a striking contemporary reinterpretation of one of the designer’s most emblematic and artist...
Plastic
Meritalia Shadow Black Armchair Padded with Polyurethane Foam by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Shadow armchair by Gaetano Pesce by Meritalia is moldless. It’s the result of a manufacturing process developed and perfected by Meritalia: the armchair is shaped with the inject...
Fabric
Set of Four Gaetano Pesce ‘Dalila’ Beige Armless Outdoor Chairs for Cassina
By Gaetano Pesce, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
This set of four Dalila armless outdoor chairs designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina presents a striking contemporary reinterpretation of one of the designer’s most emblematic and ar...
Plastic
Meritalia Shadow Red Armchair Padded with Polyurethane Foam by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Shadow armchair by Gaetano Pesce by Meritalia is moldless. It’s the result of a manufacturing process developed and perfected by Meritalia: the armchair is shaped with the inject...
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce carbon fiber and fabric "Pagnotta" chair by Meritalia, Italy, 2005
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
Armchair in carbon fiber, fabric, and plastic materials, produced by Meritalia, model Pagnotta, designed by Gaetano Pesce, year 2005. Unique and deeply personal, all the furniture d...
Fabric, Plastic, Carbon Fiber
Meritalia Shadow Yellow Armchair Padded with Polyurethane Foam by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Shadow armchair by Gaetano Pesce by Meritalia is moldless. It’s the result of a manufacturing process developed and perfected by Meritalia: the armchair is shaped with the inject...
Fabric
Senzafine Seat Armchair in Polyurethane Blue by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Colourful tangles giving life to a geometric and dynamic seating. A series of joyfully inconsistent seats, a manifesto of Meritalia’s pop-modern identity. Senzafine - Italian for “e...
Plastic
La Pagnotta Armchair in Carbon Fiber & Cotton by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Radical ideas and manufacturing wisdom: the perfect recipe to engineer comfort in the form of an armchair. Far from being traditional in design and production, the Pagnotta by Gaet...
Cotton
Meritalia Shadow Green Armchair Padded with Polyurethane Foam by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Shadow armchair by Gaetano Pesce by Meritalia is moldless. It’s the result of a manufacturing process developed and perfected by Meritalia: the armchair is shaped with the inject...
Fabric
Senzafine Seat Armchair in Polyurethane Yellow by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Colourful tangles giving life to a geometric and dynamic seating. A series of joyfully inconsistent seats, a manifesto of Meritalia’s pop-modern identity. Senzafine - Italian for “e...
Plastic
pair of armchairs Amanta design Mario Bellini and Gaetano Pesce C&B italia - B&B
By Mario Bellini, Gaetano Pesce
Located in taranto, IT
A stunning pair of "Amanta" armchairs, originally from the 1970s, designed by Mario Bellini with fabrics by Gaetano Pesce for C&B Italia (formerly B&B Italia). White Fiberlite frame...
Fabric, Plastic
Gaetano Pesce La Smorfia Chair Meritalia, 2003
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Postmodern chair designed by Gaetano Pesce and manufactured by Meritalia, Italy 2003. This unique shaped chair is more of a sculpture and fits perfectly in the oeuvre from Pesce, wit...
Metal
" Nobody's King" Gaetano Pesce, Nobody's perfect serie, Zerodisegno
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in PARIS, FR
The King armchair by Gaetano Pesce, 2003, made by Zerodisegno, is part of the "Nobody's Perfect" collection made by Gaetano Pesce for Zerodisegno, stamped and dated by hand in the re...
Resin
Gaetano Pesce ‘Dalila’ Armless Chair for Cassina
By Cassina, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The Dalila armless chair designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina is a striking reinterpretation of one of the designer’s most emblematic and artistically significant seating concepts. ...
Plastic
Gaetano Pesce "Montanara" Printed Cotton Armchair for Meritalia Limited Edition
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, Montanara is an armchair with a surreal form that evokes an ideal snow-capped mountain landscape, gracefully subverting traditional conc...
Fabric, Cotton
Gaetano Pesce "Gli Amici" Printed Cotton Armchair for Meritalia Limited Edition
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, Gli Amici ("The Friends") is a whimsical armchair featuring fantastic zoomorphic creatures. Balancing sculptural art with pure functionality...
Fabric, Cotton
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Sand Leather Italy
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Leather
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Fiord Leather, Italy
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Leather
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Brown Leather Italy
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Leather
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Wine Leather, Italy
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Leather
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Bronze Leather, Italy
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Leather
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Terracotta Leather Italy
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Leather
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Taupe Leather, Italy
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Leather
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Kraft Leather, Italy
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Leather
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Salt Leather, Italy
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Leather
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in White Leather, Italy
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Leather
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Graphite Leather, Italy
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Leather
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Brown Leather, Italy
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Leather
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Grey Velvet, Italy
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Brown Velvet, Italy
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Sand Velvet, Italy
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Hazelnut Velvet, Italy
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Cream Velvet, Italy
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Lime Velvet, Italy
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Yellow Velvet, Italy
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Orange Velvet, Italy
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia "Nubola" Luxury Armchair in Red Velvet, Italy
By Gaetano Pesce, Meritalia
Located in Varedo, MB
Designed by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia®, the Nubola Armchair is a poetic, radical exploration of celestial softness and organic form reinterpreted through avant-garde Italian design...
Fabric