Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
The Italian artist and designer Piero Fornasetti was one of the wittiest and most imaginative talents of the 20th century. He crafted an inimitable decorative style from a personal vocabulary of images that included birds, butterflies, hot-air balloons, architecture and — most frequently, and in some 500 variations — an enigmatic woman’s face based on that of Cavalieri. Fornasetti used transfer prints of these images, rendered in the style of engravings, to decorate an endless variety of furnishings and housewares that ranged from chairs, tables and decorative objects to dinner plates, table lamps and umbrella stands. His work is archly clever, often Surrealist and always fun.
Fornasetti was born in Milan, the son of an accountant, and he lived his entire life in the city. He showed artistic talent as a child and enrolled at Milan’s Brera Academy of Fine Art in 1930, but was expelled after two years for consistently failing to follow his professors’ orders.
A group of Fornasetti's hand-painted silk scarves, displayed in the 1933 Triennale di Milano, caught the eye of the architect and designer Gio Ponti, who, in the 1940s, became the artist's collaborator and patron. Beginning in the early 1950s, they created a striking series of desks, bureaus and secretaries that pair Ponti’s signature angular forms with Fornasetti’s decorative motifs — lighthearted arrangements of flowers and birds on some pieces, austere architectural imagery on others. The two worked together on numerous commissions for interiors, though their greatest project has been lost: the first-class lounges and restaurants of the luxury ocean liner Andrea Doria, which sank in 1956.
Fornasetti furnishings occupy an unusual and compelling niche in the decorative arts: they are odd yet pack a serious punch. They act, essentially, as functional sculpture. A large Fornasetti piece such as a cabinet or a desk can change the character of an entire room; his smaller works have the aesthetic power of a vase of flowers, providing a bright and alluring decorative note. The chimerical, fish-nor-fowl nature of Fornasetti’s work may be its greatest strength. It stands on its own. Bringing the Fornasetti look into the future is Barnaba Fornasetti, who took the reins of the company after his father's death.
Find vintage Piero Fornasetti dinner plates, chairs, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
1950s Italian Art Deco Vintage Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Brass, Tin
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Ceramic
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Metal
1990s Italian Post-Modern Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Glass
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Wood
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Teak
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Crystal
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Metal
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Ceramic
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Ceramic
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Metal
20th Century Unknown Other Piero Fornasetti Desk Sets
Metal, Other
Piero Fornasetti desk sets for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Piero Fornasetti
- Who is Piero Fornasetti?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Piero Fornasetti was an Italian artist and designer born in Milan, Italy, in 1913. In 1950, he founded an atelier in the city, creating furniture and home decorations. Fornasetti died on October 9, 1988. His company, Fornasetti, continues to produce hand-decorated decor under the guidance of his son Barnaba Fornasetti. Find a collection of Fornasetti on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Whether or not Piero Fornasetti images are in the public domain depends on the image. The artist produced more than 11,000 works during his lifetime. Only some no longer carry a copyright and are in the public domain. Shop a range of Fornasetti on 1stDibs.