Pair Of Stilnovo Large 'Pill' ceiling lights, model nos. 1104 circa 1953

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Pair Of Stilnovo Large 'Pill' ceiling lights, model nos. 1104 circa 1953

About the Item

Minimalist and elegant pair of large Stilnovo lighting pieces featuring pure white horizontally elongated pendants. Pendants hang from a black painted canopy. For the same pendant see Philips the Pury catalogue Design Auction London April 2013 lot # 21. In the 50’s George Nelson identified three currents in modern design: the biomorphic, the machine look and the handcrafted look. None of these really describes Italian design of the times as it was so innovative and diverse that could not fit in a single word. In the late 40’s in Italy a new wave of designers were creating furniture and lighting totally unconfined . Milan was at the center of a tremendous creative energy and was the venue of defining events like the Milan Triennale exhibitions and later on the Salone del Mobile. A very peculiar industrial network was created where larger companies would often work hand in hand with architects, artists and family size enterprises located in the same industrial districts. Through this complex system Italy was able to merge art, craftsmanship and industry in a way nobody also was . In the field of lighting there were two main districts creating new impressive designs a group of Milanese companies and the Murano glass blowers. In Milan there were already some good examples such as Fontana Arte and Arteluce both born before the war but it was immediately after the war that there was a bursting of small design companies that made excellent modern design: O-luce in 1945, Azucena, Arredoluce and Stilnovo in 1946. Stilnovo after enjoying success from the 50's to the 70's was less effective in the following decades and was acquired by Venini ceasing de facto its production. One of the particular aspects of this company was an extremely wide number of styles most of them manufactured in small quantities. The Stilnovo look includes large use of black stems and rods (generally painted brass) with polished brass elements. Canopies were most of the times perfect cylinders. Shades were often made of aluminum.

Creator:
Stilnovo (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 8 in (20.32 cm)Width: 21 in (53.34 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
50's 60's
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU8138899811

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Stilnovo

Though Bruno Gatta (1904–76) founded Stilnovo way back in 1946, it is still one of the most instantly recognizable names in lighting. Gatta began his business in Milan, and, like many European creatives designing furniture and decor in the wake of World War II, Stilnovo leaned toward the new wave of mass-market and streamlined styles. In fact, Stilnovo loosely translates to “new style” in Italian, and vintage Stilnovo lighting has endured as a practical choice for those looking to bring innovative and forward-thinking design into their homes.

Soon after Stilnovo was established, Gatta’s lighting fixtures were applauded throughout Europe for their novel industrial materials as well as their unique yet functional shapes. Italy in the 1950s was forming a completely revolutionized look, and Bruno Gatta and Stilnovo’s head designer, Angelo Gaetano Sciolari, helped shape it. When the 1960s arrived, Stilnovo was experiencing such a boom that the company opened a new production plant in Lainate. One of the brand’s most famous pieces, Giovanni Luigi Gorgoni’s quirky 1965 Buonanotte spherical table lamp, became a best seller.

Gatta partnered with some of the most well-known names in design, including Ettore Sottsass, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Joe Colombo and Gae Aulenti. Sottsass’s pieces for Stilnovo, including the 1977 Valigia four-legged table lamp, the 1968 Lampros chandelier and Manifesto ceiling light, and the Castiglionis’ 1957 Saliscendi pendant light fixtures are some of the brand’s most recognizable to date. In 1978, De Pas, D’Urbino and Lomazzi designed the Fante lamp with an adjustable reflector that playfully recalls a broad-brimmed hat.

Stilnovo’s designs, including Danilo and Corrado Aroldi’s flexible Periscope table lamp, were featured in the 1972 exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” at the Museum of Modern Art. While Stilnovo continued to operate with new designer collaborations after Gatta’s death, it closed its doors in 1988. Italian art director Massimo Anselmi acquired the company in 2012 and rereleased several of Stilnovo’s most celebrated pieces. Then in 2019, lighting giant Linea Light Group purchased Stilnovo and relaunched its classic designs with contemporary touches like LED lighting systems.

Find vintage Stilnovo chandeliers and pendants, wall lights, floor lamps and other fixtures and furniture on 1stDibs.