Artbrokerdesign BV

Extremely rare pair of signed Willy Rizzo lounge chairs finished in suede with stainless steel bases. These are very early examples which were produced by the 'Studio Willy Rizzo' in Rome in 1969, recognised by the Willy Rizzo signature in the fabric. Original Signed early period Willy Rizzo lounge chairs are very rare, 95% of the output of this design were produced as either two, three or four-seat sofas and the individual lounge chairs are very rarely seen on the market today. This iconic design featured prominently in the prestigious Italian design periodical 'Casa Vogue' throughout the early to mid-1970s including a feature on Rizzo ad Elsa Martinelli's own home in St Tropez, France in the October 1974 issue which illustrates this design. Please see image 4. These rare chairs have had their upholstery completely renovated including new seat support strapping, new foam and suede upholstery to the original specifications. The Willy Rizzo signatures from the original upholstery have been carefully cut from the original worn fabric and sown to the underside of each chair to maintain the authenticity. Photos of the restoration process are available on request. Please see image 10 as an example. Literature:- CASA VOGUE, October 1974 (features this design in the home of Elsa Martinelli and Willy Rizzo in St Tropez,France). See image 4 CASA VOGUE , JUNE 1975 CASA VOGUE, September 1975, Please see IMAGE 9 CASA VOGUE, November 1976, Please see IMAGE 8 Willy Rizzo is best known as a photographer. He began his illustrious 20 year career with Paris Match in 1948 which lead to him photographing some of the greatest names of the period. Rizzo was married to italian actress Elsa Martinelli,which gave him unparalleled access to the star names of the period and his cornucopia of sitters would include among others Brigitte Bardot, Sofia Loren...

This iconic sofa was designed by Willy Rizzo in 1969 and is published in many of the interior design journals of the period. This design was illustrated in Casa Vogue's feature on Rizzo's own home in St Tropez,France in their October 1974 issue. The sofa is finished in brown suede. We have a further selection of these Willy Rizzo sofas...