Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
As one of the founding fathers of modern Italian design, prolific architect and industrial designer Ludovico Magistretti (known by his nickname Vico) was guided by his philosophy, “There is no excuse for bad design.” His architectural projects are widely revered, and an ingenious meld of form and function can be found in his stylish and deceptively simple table lamps, sofas, armchairs and other mid-century furnishings.
Born in Milan, Magistretti followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather (both architects) to study architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. At the outbreak of World War II, he fled to Switzerland, and it was there he met his role model and mentor, renowned humanist architect Ernesto Nathan Rogers. Magistretti was inspired by Rogers’s vision to revive postwar Italy, and they collaborated on several reconstruction projects. Among Magistretti’s first architectural designs is a “poetic” round church, which he created for the QT8, an experimental Milanese neighborhood.
When Magistretti returned to Milan in 1945, he worked at his father’s architectural firm. It wasn’t until the early 1950s that he expanded his talents into design while working with furniture artisans.
In the 1960s, Magistretti began his 30-year working relationship with famed entrepreneur Cesare Cassina of the Cassina furniture manufacturing company. In their design approach, the two men shared a vision of the relationship between modernity and tradition and enjoyed a close bond (Magistretti designed Cassina’s luxurious villa in 1965). However, their friendship was not without contention.
Legend has it that upon seeing the prototype for Magistretti’s Maralunga sofa, Cassina hated it so much that he punched it, breaking the back of the sofa, which crumpled into itself.
“Right, great, it looks perfect to me like that,” an unfazed Magistretti allegedly responded, and the Maralunga’s slumped, adjustable-height backrest was born. Incidentally, the Maralunga sofa won Italy’s Compasso d’Oro award as did his Eclisse lamp for Artemide and his Atollo lamp for Oluce.
Magistretti died in 2006, but his designs live on in galleries, museums and private residences and offices around the world.
Find a range of vintage Vico Magistretti furniture and lighting on 1stDibs.
1960s Italian Vintage Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Leather, Wood
1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Faux Leather, Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
1890s Spanish Spanish Colonial Antique Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
1840s British Victorian Antique Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bamboo
1940s Dutch Vintage Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Mid-19th Century American Mid-Century Modern Antique Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
1920s Art Deco Vintage Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Rosewood, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
2010s Danish Bauhaus Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Oak
Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal, Brass
Early 18th Century English William and Mary Antique Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
19th Century Biedermeier Antique Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
1960s Italian Vintage Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vico Magistretti Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Faux Leather, Wood, Lacquer
Vico Magistretti commodes and chests of drawers for sale on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The Carimate chair for Cassina is one of the most celebrated pieces of Vico Magistretti but this designer is also well known for the Eclipse Table Lamp, Selene Stacking Chair, Chimera Lamp and more. He is seen as one of Italy’s most influential industrial designers, furniture designers and architects. Shop a collection of Magistretti furniture from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.