In his first year as artistic director at the Milanese design house Fontana Arte (founded by Giò Ponti and Luigi Fontana) in 1954, French glass artist Max Ingrand (1908–69), who had made a mark in his native country creating detailed stained-glass windows for cathedrals including Notre-Dame de Paris, devised a stunningly minimal table lamp. The Fontana light would go on to be one of both Ingrand and Fontana Arte’s most recognizable creations — and indeed one of the most influential lamps in design history.
The Fontana lamp’s delightfully simple silhouette belies its technical complexities. Both the shade and body of the fixture are crafted in frosted, handblown glass, a process that required achieving an identical finish for two entirely different shapes. These parts are set atop a base of metal that is powder-coated to match the glass. Ingrand’s original lamp design was white; Fontana Arte soon reissued a version in black and now offers light gray and purple, as well as a brass variation on Ingrand’s form that’s available in several sizes.
While a monochrome table lamp bears seemingly little in common with a kaleidoscopic, figurative stained-glass panel, to Ingrand, the creative concept behind the two wasn’t so different. If he harnessed light in a certain way, Ingrand believed, a designer could define shape and give a sense of movement with no color at all. “Light was no longer just a means to breathe life into color but became a means to breathe life into an entire architecture,” the artist once said. Indeed, the original Fontana, with its charismatic shape and romantic glow, seems to come alive when powered up, Ingrand’s careful calibrations of light and form giving it an impressive depth without the need for any additional decorative details.
In-the-know aesthetes may refer to the lamp as “the 1853,” a reference to the piece’s original name and one that often appears on listings for early models. The name was later changed in order to pay tribute to its manufacturer, a certain indication of the lamp’s importance to Fontana Arte’s legacy.
Max Ingrand 'Fontana 1853' Small Table Lamb for Fontana Arte
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Glendale, CA
Max Ingrand 'Fontana 1853' Small Table Lamb for Fontana Arte Designed in 1954 by the famous French Master glassmaker and decorator Max Ingrand, this lamp was originally named 1853 a...
Metal
Stunning Large Glass Table Lamps by Fontana Arte, Italy , 1980s
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Aachen, NRW
Max Ingrand Model 1853 Table Lamp for Fontana Arte – Large Version This lamp is a timeless design classic by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte. It features a white satin-blown glass shad...
Opal
Large Table or Floor Lamp by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Vlimmeren, BE
This large table or floor lamp, model 1853/1, was designed by Max Ingrand in 1954 for Fontana Arte. This fabulous lamp is made of frosted white blown glass. The lamp has a triple sw...
Glass
$3,608Sale Price|20% Off
Max Ingrand Fontana Arte Fontana Total Black Table Lamp in Glass, 2014 Edition
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed by Max Ingrand and manufactured by Fontana Arte, the Fontana total black table lamp, 2014 Edition, is an unusual Total Black produced in 2014 to mark the 60th anniversary of...
Metal
$2,398Sale Price / item|20% Off
Fontana Glass Table Lamp Designed by Max Ingrand in 1954 for Fontana Arte
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An evergreen, timeless design icon, this is the lampshade par excellence. A fabulous lamp in frosted white blown glass, an example of the art of master glassmakers, it pays tribute ...
Metal
Table Lamp 1853 - Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte - Satin Glass - 1954 (Big Size)
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Argelato, BO
Table lamp mod. 1853 base and lampshade in satin-finish cased glass, structure in white lacquered metal, Fontana Arte, 1954.
Metal
Mod. 1837 lamp flower vase designed by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, 1954
By Max Ingrand
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Rare luminous vase mod. 1837 designed by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte in 1954. White frosted glass frame, polished brass insert, enameled brass base. Eccellenti condition. A masterp...
Brass
Max Ingrand Fontana Arte Table Lamps Opaline Glass Metal 1954 Italy
By Max Ingrand
Located in Milano, IT
Max Ingrand table lamp.
Opaline Glass
$14,480Sale Price|20% Off
H 56 in W 12 in D 6.25 in
Model 1636 Pendant by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Model 1636 Pendant by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte. Designed and manufactured in Italy, circa the 1950s. A gorgeous polished brass drop pendant featuring a rather complex design at t...
Brass
Fontana Arte Table Lamp Brass Glass Pergamena, 1950, Italy
By Fontana Arte
Located in Milano, IT
Fontana Arte table lamp brass glass , paralume finta pergamena ,1950, Italy.
Brass
Suspension Light by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Suspension light by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte. Designed and manufactured in Italy, 1959. Glass, brass. Rewired for U.S. junction box...
Brass
Max Ingrand Sconce for Fontana Arte, 1955
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Max Ingrand sconce for Fontana Arte, glass and brass, Italy, 1955 Designed in 1955 by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, this sconce exemplifies the poetic elegance and technical mastery...
Brass
Max Ingrand Table Lamp Mod. 2488 for Fontana Arte, Italy, 1970s
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Milan, IT
Monumental and rare Max Ingrand table lamp mod. 2488 for Fontana Arte, Italy, 1970s Reference: Fontana Arte Catalogue, 1970.
Metal, Chrome
$1,907
H 11.82 in W 6.3 in D 2.17 in
Black Scintilla Table Lamp by Piero Castiglioni for Fontana Arte, 1980s
By Fontana Arte
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Black Scintilla table lamp, designed in 1984 by Piero Castiglioni for Fontana Arte. The structure of this table lamp is made from grey die-cast anodized aluminium. In addition to ae...
Aluminum
Model 2225 Sconce by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Original model 2225 wall light by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte with thick beveled glass and brass, circa 1960s / Made in Milan, Italy circa 1960s 2 lights / original E14 type / max 4...
Brass
Ceiling Light by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ceiling light by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte. Manufactured in Italy, circa 1950's. Crystal, chrome, glass, custom brass backplate. Wired for U.S. standards. We recommend eight E14 2...
Crystal, Brass, Chrome
Rare Single Sconce by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This elegant wall light designed by Max Ingrand exemplifies the designer’s refined approach to geometry, proportion, and material. The fixture features a spherical screen in frosted ...
Brass
$29,435
H 19.3 in Dm 16.34 in
1950's Max Ingrand Disco Volante Table Lamp Fontana Arte Glass Brass Blue Colour
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Milano, IT
The “Disco Volante” table lamp, model 1538, was designed by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte in Italy around 1955. The design is a perfect embodiment of mid-century modern elegance and i...
Brass
$2,884
H 30.71 in Dm 18.51 in
Lamp Mod. 1853 Grande - Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte - Satin Glass - 1954
By Max Ingrand
Located in Milano, IT
The lamp is Max Ingrand's Model 1853 for Fontana Arte in its largest version. The lampshade is a truncated cone shape made of white satin-blown glass, which diffuses light evenly and...
Metal
$26,303 / set
H 20 in W 16.34 in D 5.9 in
Rare Pair of Table Lamps by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, 1955-1956, Italy
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
A rare pair of table lamps designed by Max Ingrand and manufactured by Fontana Arte, 1955-1956, Milano, Italy. These specific table lamps are made of blackened cast aluminium with f...
Aluminum
Mid-Century Fontana Arte Glass & Chrome Lamps by Max Ingrand, Italy, 1950s
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A striking pair of table lamps designed by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, Italy, circa 1950s. These sculptural lamps are a quintessential example of Ingrand’s refined aesthetic, blend...
Chrome
'1853/1' table lamp by Max Ingrand 1970s
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Milano, IT
White opal glass table lamp.
Opaline Glass
Mirror-Max Ingrand-Italy-Fontana Arte-Mid 20th Century
By Max Ingrand
Located in Milano, Lombardia
A great master of art glass, Max Ingrand grew up admiring the windows of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, his first real source of inspiration. Through a continuous research on...
Glass
'1853' table lamp large Max Ingrand for FontanaArte 70s-80s
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Milano, IT
Table or floor lamp with dual ignition in white opal blown glass, lacquered metal base. Good Condition
Metal
Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte XL Table Lamp, 1970s
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Midcentury table lamp in white glass designed by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte in the 1950s - Model 1854 This one is a vintage example and we would date it around 1970s. This la...
Glass
Sold
H 21 in W 12 in D 12 in
Pair Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte Model 1853 Frosted White Glass Table Lamps
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in New York, NY
Exquisite pair of Max Ingrand design for Fontana Arte frosted glass table lamps, model 1853. Originally designed in the Mid 20th C, these are later reissues, made by Fontana Arte cir...
Metal
Max Ingrand Fontana Arte Table Lamp
By Max Ingrand
Located in Astoria, NY
Max Ingrand (Italian, 1908-1969) for Fontana Arte Mid-Century Modern opaque glass table lamp, marked on bottom. In very good vintage condition. Dealer: S138XX
Glass
Table or Floor Lamp Fontana Large by Max Ingrand
By Max Ingrand
Located in Praha, CZ
Designed in 1954 by the famous French Master glassmaker and decorator Max Ingrand, this lamp was originally named 1853 and, at a later time, Fontana, in homage to the company of whic...
Metal
Large Max Ingrand Model #1853 'Fontana' Glass Table Lamp for Fontana Arte
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Glendale, CA
Large Max Ingrand Model #1853 'Fontana' glass table lamp for Fontana Arte. Designed in 1954 by the incomparable Max Ingrand, the Fontana table lamp features Minimalist styling with illumination from both the base and shade. White-painted metal frame. Lampshade and globe in white, stained, blown glass. Black power flexes and switch. Also available in a gloss black painted metal finish for an additional fee. This is for the largest edition in white in excellent condition. One in stock and ready to ship. UL Listed. 4 X 120V 60W E26 (medium base) A19 incandescent lamps...
Metal
Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte Oversized White Glass Lamp
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in North Miami, FL
Model number 1853. Designed in 1954 made in opaline glass with light fittings at the top, inside the shade and inside the base. An earlier model - labeled at switch.
Metal
Original Large Fontana Arte Lamp by Max Ingrand circa 1960 Opaline Glass
By Max Ingrand
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Italian desk lamp, large model, from the 1960s. Designed by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte. Structure and shade in white opaline. Opaline shows signs of wear and tear.
Opaline Glass
Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte Italian Modern Glass Table Lamp
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Astoria, NY
Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte Italian Modern table lamp in white glass with white glass shade. Designed by Max Ingrand in the 1950s, this model is likely from the 1970s-1980s. In grea...
Metal
