The work of celebrated mid-century Italian lighting designer and entrepreneur Angelo Gaetano Sciolari became widely popular in the United States during the postwar years and strongly influenced lighting makers around the world. The sculptural forms and striking geometric details of his vintage floor lamps, chandeliers and other fixtures fit seamlessly into the mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency interiors of the day.
Sciolari formally studied architecture but also pursued filmmaking for a short period. When his father passed away in 1949, Sciolari took the reins at his family's company, Sciolari Lighting, which had been in business in Rome since 1892. The manufacturer expanded considerably under Gaetano’s leadership. For one, pioneering American lighting company Lightolier, in New York City, began to import the Italian brand’s lighting for the U.S. market, and Lightolier’s star designer, Gerald Thurston, was significantly influenced by Gaetano’s work. In the 1970s, Americans looking to add provocative fixtures created by Gaetano Sciolari to their living rooms could find them in Lightolier catalogs.
Sciolari initially crafted lamps and sconces that bore the hallmarks of traditional Italian design. But during the 1950s, when he would become the in-house designer for legendary Milan lighting manufacturer Stilnovo — one of the leaders of Italian postwar design — he created revolutionary fixtures that endured as his best-known work.
Sciolari drew on a range of influences — enthusiasts see the imprint of Art Deco, brutalism and more in his lighting — and designed futuristic Space Age chandeliers, ceiling lamps and pendants for Stilnovo as well as Stilkronen and S.A. Boulanger that defied the conventions of the time. A dizzying array of materials and finishes characterizes the designer’s work, while geometry is pronounced in each sculptural fixture — there are blown opal glass spheres, polished chrome tubes and brass square bulb holders. These combinations were critical to the development of dazzling lighting that proves eye-catching in any space decades later.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Angelo Gaetano Sciolari lighting today.
Iconic and Rare Pair of Cubic Gaetano Sciolari Table Lamps , Italy, 1970
By Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Buffalo, NY
Iconic and rare Pair of Cubic Gaetano Sciolari table lamps , Italy, 1970,,,Wonderful original condition,,40 years in the business ,,have never come across the table version of this l...
Chrome
$9,963
H 39.38 in W 31.5 in D 31.5 in
Iconic Gold and Chrome Cubic Gaetano Sciolari Chandelier, Italy, 1970
By Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Rome, IT
Famous chandelier belonging to the series inspired by a trip of Gaetano Sciolari in New York, the chandelier is composed of 20 lights that radiate a striking light. Structure is made...
Brass
$1,800 / set
H 31.5 in W 15.25 in D 15.25 in
Pair of 1960s Gaetano Sciolari Brass and Glass Mid Century Modern Table Lamps
By Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A pair of 1960s Gaetano Sciolari brass and glass cane table lamps. This extraordinary set of table lamps feature a breathtaking design and overall presentation. These lamps feature a...
Brass
Gaetano Sciolari of italy Oversize 1970s Modern Column Table Lamp
By Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Montclair, NY
Gaetano Sciolari’s designs are renowned for their modernist aesthetic, and this lamp certainly embodies that. The combination of chrome and black enamel, along with its substantial h...
Chrome
$988Sale Price / set|30% Off
H 9.85 in W 3.15 in D 3.15 in
Pair of Cubic Sciolari Table Lamp Steel Glass Italian Design, 1970s
By Sciolari Lighting
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Pair of cubic Sciolari table lamp steel glass Italian design, 1970s 1 light bulb E27 Max 100 watt.
Steel
$395Sale Price / set|33% Off
H 34 in W 17.25 in D 17.25 in
Brass and Glass Rod Table Lamps, Gaetano Sciolari Lightolier Attributed Pair
By Lightolier, Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Miami, FL
Brass and Glass Rod Table Lamps, Gaetano Sciolari Lightolier Attributed Pair Offered for sale is a pair of brass and glass rod table lamps attributed to Gaetano Sciolari for Lightol...
Brass
Pair of Gaetano Sciolari Table Lamps for Metalarte
By Metalarte, Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
A striking pair of table lamps designed by Gaetano Sciolari for Metalarte (Spain), featuring the designer’s characteristic interplay of sleek geometry and elegant materials. Each lam...
Metal
$3,164 / set
H 12.6 in W 11.03 in D 6.3 in
Cubic Wall Lamp Design by Gaetano Sciolari for Sciolari Illuminazione, Italy
By Sciolari Lighting, Gaetano Sciolari
Located in KUTNO, PL
Cubic Design by Gaetano Sciolari's wall lamps are icons of Italian design from the 1960s and 1970s, combining elements of modernism with influences of brutalism, which is evident in ...
Metal
Gaetano Sciolari - PAIR of table lamp
By Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Brussels, BE
Pair of table lamp in chrome and milked plexiglas by Gaetano Sciolari. Made in Italy in the 1970's. One of the pair shows a light crack on the shade. Please feel free to contact u...
Chrome
Pair of After Gaetano Sciolari Midcentury Italian Lamps, 1960s
By Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Pair of table lamps in lacquered aluminum with matte finish and chromed metal, internal diffuser in jacketed glass, in excellent condition. Sold individually.
Aluminum, Chrome
$2,118
H 15.75 in W 20.87 in D 13.98 in
Space Age Table Lamp, Nickel and Plastic, by Gaetano Sciolari for Valenti, 1970s
By Gaetano Sciolari, Valenti
Located in Beirut, LB
Illuminate your space with this captivating Space Age table lamp, a true design icon from the 1970s, meticulously crafted by the renowned Gaetano Sciolari for Valenti Luce. This piec...
Nickel
Rare Gaetano Sciolari Mid-Century Modern Italian Design Brass Table Lamp Base
By Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Lisse, NL
Large and good looking Italian table lamp. This Gaetano Sciolari vintage brass lamp is marked and numbered on the bottom (see image 9). This blackened lamp is in excellent, origina...
Brass
Hollywood regency table lamp, Gaetano Sciolari Italy 1970s
By Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Firenze, IT
Hollywood regency table lamp Gaetano Sciolari Italy 1970s Chromed metal, green molded glass H 24 × 10 cm diam. Conditions: excellent consistent with age and use
Brass
Nice Sciolari Chandelier
By Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Chrome and brass eight-light Sciolari signed chandelier.
Stunning XL Chrome Chandelier by Gaetano Sciolari
By Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Westport, CT
Beautiful oversized chrome steel / brushed aluminum chandelier with 22 cast glass lights by Gaetano Sciolari.
Chrome