Modern Lighting
MODERN STYLE
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
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Style: Modern
Vintage Artemide Post Modern Megaron Beam Anodized Aluminum Floor Lamp
Located in Chattanooga, TN
This vintage Chrome Artemide Megaron Beam Lamp is the original style and design classic from Gianfranco Frattini. We're not sure of the exact date, b...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Metal, Aluminum
Grey, Orange and Pale Yellow Murano Glass Long Chandelier
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Long chandelier made of a brass structure with three levels, enlightened with LED strips running all the length.
Each level is covered with Murano glass plate as if it was folded aro...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Vintage Max Studio Home Modern Arc Steel Marble Floor Library Reading Lamp 64"
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage Max Studio Home modern arched floor lamp. Made of steel featuring the symbolic mid century / retro arc with heavy cylindrical marble base.
Leon Max ...
Category
Late 20th Century Modern Lighting
Materials
Marble, Steel
Murano Glass Wall Sconces with Brass Rod Detail
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Murano glass wall sconce made of a curved panel, slightly frosted with wavy pattern reflecting on both sides. In the center is a unlacquered brass stem giving the final touch to this...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Earthenware Wall Sconces by Françoise Bergaglia
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Wall sconces made of a wood backplate with incased lighting, two brass rods and a thin layer of textured handmade earthenware. Made and signed on the back by French artist Françoise ...
Category
2010s French Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Seletti Resin Lamp "Monkey Lamp-Us"- Standing
By Seletti
Located in Doral, FL
From its very first year in 1964, Seletti in Cicognara, Mantova, has followed its principle of professionality service and constant research to strive for betterness innovation and o...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Lighting
Materials
Resin
Rone Contemporary Sconce or Flush-Mounted Pendant. Large 12"ø x 5" height
Located in Torslanda, SE
The Rone range is an exploration of the delicate balance of Classic forms. In simplicity, quality is at the utmost importance and our solid brass parts are painstakingly milled or sp...
Category
2010s Scandinavian Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Vistosi Giogali Small Three-Tier Cascade Chandelier by Angelo Mangiarotti
Located in Mogliano Veneto, Treviso
The Giogali collection is a decorative lighting system based on a single element: the handmade glass link. Featured Cascade chandelier in crystal. Metal parts in chrome. E26 lighting.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Murano Glass
Martinelli Luce Cobra 629 Table Lamp by Elio Martinelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Reading lamp with direct light, made with two resin molded bodies, white or black color. For the 50th anniversary of its production, a new red version of th...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Resin
Zero LED Silo Pendant by Note Design Studio
Located in Yonkers, NY
Who knew a grain silo could inspire such a kicky light fixture? That’s exactly what Note Design Studio used for inspiration for Silo pendant, a Minimalist fixture that can only be de...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Modern Lighting
Materials
Aluminum
Stacked Lucite Table Lamp by Karl Springer
Located in Dorchester, MA
Designed by Karl Springer in the 1970s, this striking table lamp alternates stacked discs and wedges of Lucite along a chrome rod from which extend two light sockets.
Category
1970s American Vintage Modern Lighting
Materials
Chrome
Heavy Gilt Murano Glass Stem Lamp with Custom Silk Shade
By Barovier
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Heavy gilt Murano glass stem lamp with custom silk shade in the style of Barovier. giltwood base. Restored and rewired with gold twist cord.
Cu...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Lighting
Materials
Wood, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Modern White Sublime Arc Floor Lamp, Marble, Handmade in Portugal by Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Sublime Arc Floor Lamp, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple.
The Sublime arc floor lamp brings the creative vision to life through its organic de...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Lighting
Materials
Marble, Stainless Steel
Large table lamp by artist Donna in patinated steel
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Brutalist table lamp by French artist Donna. Star-shaped base in patinated steel, imagined and handcrafted in the artist’s studio. Sober, timeless design. Each lamp is signed and num...
Category
2010s Modern Lighting
Materials
Metal
"Trilogy" Mini Contemporary Wall lamp, Jade Silvered art Glass, brass
Located in Pietrasanta, IT
TRILOGY
Rays of lights embracing each other
In our Atelier beats the heart of a living heritage, that of craftsman-ship. For 22 years we explore the beauty of sculpting each single...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Metal
Tekna Phare Double Wall Lamp with Polished Brass Finish, Large
By Tekna
Located in New York, NY
Wall lamp with tubular LED lamp, length 300mm or 500mm, 2700K, central lamp base type S14d. Central u-shaped lamp holder, fitted in a decorative brass box. For indoor use (IP20).
...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Butterfly flush mount, pendant lamp, art Silvered Glass Sun, melted Brass Body
Located in Pietrasanta, IT
BUTTERFLY
The free dance movement
For more than 22 years, Sabrina Landini pays homage to glass surfaces in her expression of silvered masterworks, the hallmark of her collection.
S...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Crystal, Brass
Unique Paravent- Lamp, Illuminated room divider from 1988 by Elsa Prochazka
By Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
Movable Room- divider with many tiny lamps outside.[nbsp]This piece of art is a unique piece[nbsp]designed by Elsa Prohazka and manufactured by WOKA LAMPS VIENNA[nbsp]for the Exhibition "WIEN MOEBEL" IN 1989, at the Vienna Secession Building. Several artists designed furniture and several manufacturer executed unique pieces of arts. The designers were Luigi Blau...
Category
Late 20th Century Austrian Modern Lighting
Materials
Steel
Sketch Small Contemporary Wall Light
Located in London, GB
Art et Floritude and the Movimento collective collaborated to create this unique light piece. Movimento combined their deep understanding of Art et Fl...
Category
2010s French Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Pair of Modernist Murano Glass Table Lamps in Flint Gray W/24K Gold Flecks
Located in New York, NY
Introduce a touch of modern elegance to your space with this pair of Modernist Murano Glass Table Lamps in Flint Gray with 24K Gold Flecks. Crafted in Italy in the 21st century, thes...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Murano Glass
Pair of Brazilian Tigerwood Lamps with Custom Paper Shades
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Brazilian tigerwood lamps.
Rewired with 3-way switches (on, half intensity, off).
New European-style (no finials) custom paper shades.
Dimensions listed (13 in. diameter x 23...
Category
20th Century Brazilian Modern Lighting
Materials
Hardwood, Parchment Paper
SLAMP Veli Large Suspension Light in Prisma by Adriano Rachele
By Adriano Rachele, Slamp
Located in Pomezia, Rome
Inspired by the high fashion world, where folds, pleats and soft structural shapes reign, Veli is a sophisticated, glamorous collection featuring a series of handcrafted elements car...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Other
Small Ceramic Chandelier by Olivia Cognet
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Free-shape chandelier made by the French ceramic artist Olivia Cognet. Staying true to her organic shaped works, Olivia offers us here a beautiful and refined hanging piece all in so...
Category
2010s French Modern Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
Studio Venini Spherical Table Lamp Model "Pallotta", Murano, 1970s
By Venini
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A rare and beautiful table lamp from the ''Pallotta'' series in talpa glass and polychrome hand blowed glass balls inside.
Designed by Studio Venini during the 1970s this table la...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Lighting
Materials
Glass
Murano Glass Amber and Gold Lamps
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of Murano glass lamps from the island of Murano, Italy outside of Venice. These hand-blown lamps are crafted in the “specchiatto” technique which creates a mirrored glass. They ...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Murano Glass
Murano Glass Purple Battuto Table Lamps
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of Murano glass lamps made of hand-blown glass in a purple tone. They are crafted in the battuto technique, which creates a hammered appearance to the glass. They have been newl...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Murano Glass
Signal Swing Arm Sconce, Black x Nickel, Short, from Souda, Made to Order
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The signal arm sconce is a rotatable sconce that seamlessly blend the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic with that of science fiction. A bent aluminum tube cantilevers from a wall-mounted ...
Category
2010s American Modern Lighting
Materials
Metal, Steel
Pair of Tall Floor Lamp Wrapped in Rope
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Pair of tall floor lamps made of metal entirely wrapped by a tight rope circling around from the feet to the very top.
One source of light per lamp that gives, thank to the shape o...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Metal
Hanging Pendent Lantern Sculpture Contemporary Hand-Blown Glass Blackened Steel
Located in Bronx, NY
FLORA NO. 1 - SMALL (WHITE)
J.M. Szymanski
D. 2024
What is the architecture of a flower? FLORA, a lighting collection by J.M. Szymanski, explores a flower's remarkable form. The col...
Category
2010s American Modern Lighting
Materials
Steel
‘Opposée’ Table Lamp - Blue 'Matte'
Located in London, GB
Matte Blue base with a Matte Finish and Shade.
Estimated processing time is 2 weeks from order confirmation.
Pictured with a Mini Globe LED E27 Bulb. Bulb not included.
To pair th...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Lighting
Materials
Ceramic, Wool, Alpaca, Silk
Modern Ceramic Handmade Wave Form Table Lamp in Green by Forma Rosa Studio
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Wave Form table lamp is a sophisticated approach to our Wave Form signature collection, as it stresses the simplicity of its primal melodic fo...
Category
2010s American Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
“Flame” contemporary wall sconce white Silvered art Glass, brass, crystal drop
Located in Pietrasanta, IT
FLAME
Love first’s step
Nature’s beauty has always inspired Sabrina Landini creations - such as these exquisite wall lamps that evoke leaf, fire, candlelight or earrings.
The perfe...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Crystal, Brass
Flos with Starck Phillpe Starck Gold Bedside Gun Table Lamp with Shade
By Flos
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Flos with Starck Phillpe Starck Gold Bedside Gun Table Lamp with Shade. Item featured is from the "Gun Collection" designed by Phillipe Starck (2005), pol...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Lighting
Materials
Aluminum
Modernist Hand-Blown Murano Smoked Tortoise Glass Double Sphere & Bronze Sconces
Located in New York, NY
Illuminate your space with this exquisite pair of Modernist Hand-Blown Murano Glass Double Sphere Sconces, offered in a sophisticated Smoked Tortoise hue with bronze fittings. Crafte...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Modernist Pagoda Disc Chandelier in Clear Murano Glass
Located in New York, NY
This stunning chandelier was hand blown by artisans in Murano, Italy- the island off the coast of Venice renowned for centuries for its superlative glass production. It features 62 M...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Chrome
Cupper Ring Pendant Led Light, 21st Century
Located in Roeselare, BE
Pendant in brass in ring form with flexible led strips, power supply either on distance, or in the ring itself or in the canopy.
Overall height can be chosen.
Category
2010s Belgian Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Casa Bed Light
By Project 213A
Located in Macieira de Sarnes, PT
CASA BEDSIDE LIGHT, designed in 2023.
Artisanal ceramic light with textured finish, made in Project 213A's own ceramic workshop.
Each piece is unique due to its handmade nature, sha...
Category
2010s Portuguese Modern Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
Narrow Brass Elbow Wall Light by Henry Wilson
By Henry Wilson
Located in Geneve, CH
Narrow Brass Elbow Wall Light by Henry Wilson
Dimensions: W 10 x D 9.5 x H 20.5 cm
Materials: Brass.
Available in blackened, aluminum, and brass.
Elbow Wall Light is available in t...
Category
2010s Australian Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Murano Glass Alabaster Sconces
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of sconces hand-crafted by artisan glass blowers in Murano, Italy. This sconce is made with layers of hand-blown glass made using a technique to give them an alabaster pattern. ...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Murano Glass
Large Pair of Feather Brass Sconces in the Manner of Maison Jansen
Located in Bochum, NRW
Pair of wall lights shaped as feathers. Wall-mounted, with indirect light, made of brass. 1 light bulb x E14 for EU standard or E12 candelabra for US on request.
Measure: height circ...
Category
2010s European Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Vistosi LED Riflesso LT 3 Table Lamp with Copper Base by Chiaramonte
Located in Mogliano Veneto, Treviso
The LED light passes through a glass bubble to refract on a mirror in a game of continuous rebounds. Glass is not only a diffuser, but also an almost invisible intermediary between t...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Glass
Pair of Fan Wall Sconces in Earthenware by Françoise Bergaglia
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Pair of wall sconces by the french artist Françoise Bergaglia, made of two earthenware piece, a large fan acting as a light diffuser, and a smaller curved one, hiding the source of...
Category
2010s French Modern Lighting
Materials
Earthenware
Tekna Shell Light LED Wall Light with Polished Brass Finish & Ventilation Cover
By Tekna
Located in New York, NY
Ventilation cover used as a wall light in sand casted brass. For indoor use only (IP20).
LED module 230V 4,3W 2700K 145lm. Main power 230V 50Hz.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Alcove Ouro UL
Located in Lisboa, PT
Introducing the Alcoves, a collection of elegant ceramic wall sconces designed to enhance contemporary interiors with their delicate blend of art and functionality. Handcrafted in Po...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Lighting
Materials
Ceramic
New Wave Optic Wall Lamp Clear
By Design By Us
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Wall lamp in mouth-blown glass, hand painted silver edge with a painted black base, black fabric electrical cord.
Specifications: Ø 10".
UL listed
Bulb included: "LED Arbi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Lighting
Materials
Glass
Gervasoni Large Silver Suspension Lamp in Nickel Plated Brass by Paola Navone
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A family of suspension lamps with a refined and contemporary language, made from a thin plate in nickel-plated brass with lunar reflections, available with a delicate curvature in th...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Nickel
Vistosi Scintilla SP Suspension Light by Giovanni Barbato
Located in Mogliano Veneto, Treviso
The blown glass gives light its central role, by comfortably directing and spreading it in the environment, and emphasizing its brightness. LED lighting source.
Specifications:
...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Blown Glass
Bonnie Large LED Handmade Sculptural Pendant in Solid Brass, 90cm/35".
Located in Torslanda, SE
The Bonnie range is designed around the stylized form of a Saffron flower, known around the world for its valuable beauty, fragrance and essence.
Each part is handmade, wether it be cast, milled, fabricated and finished from our Swedish workshop. With a combination of hand-brushed and polished surfaces, this solid brass fixture...
Category
2010s Scandinavian Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Felci Chandelier by Fabio Ltd
By Fabio Ltd.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Italian chandelier shown with six tiers of clear hand blown Murano Felci fern glasses mounted on bronzed finish metal frame, by Fabio Ltd / Made in Italy
22 lights, E26 or E27 type, ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Murano Glass
Candle House, Wall Light Zinc contemporary
Located in Roeselare, BE
A wall fixture in zinc, glass in front, no backplate. So you can see the wall straight through. With a e14 candle lamp. Both inside or outside.
Also available in bigger version with...
Category
Early 2000s Belgian Modern Lighting
Materials
Zinc
SLAMP - Accordéon Table - Prisma - by Marc Sadler
By Marc Sadler
Located in Pomezia, Rome
The Accordéon collection represents a new narrative in contemporary design: Slamp's exclusive Lentiflex® material is heated and hand-molded by the women who tailor light. Each piece ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Other
Tekna Gio Bagnara Marquesse Reading Lamp with Mud and Light Grey Finish
Located in New York, NY
Pedestal reading lamp with a rectangular weighted base, vertical arm and a vertical placed tube on knuckle joint, 350° turnable, 90° adjustable, with GU10 lamp holder, 2 meter cable,...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Lighting
Materials
Gold
Nura Ceiling Fixture - 30" - Cognac Leather
By RTO Lighting
Located in Philadelphia, PA
The Nura Ceiling Fixture combines hand-stitched leather over walnut accented by a brass pole and canopy. This fixture can either be hung as a ceiling surface mount or a pendant suppo...
Category
2010s American Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Large Link Pendant by AVRAM RUSU STUDIO
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Link Pendant combines hand blown glass with a dramatically scaled solid brass chain. Pendants can be used individually or clustered on a single ceiling plate as a chandelier. Please contact the studio to discuss custom solutions.
AVRAM RUSU STUDIO...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass, Bronze, Pewter, Nickel
Contemporary Table Lamp Designed by the Americans The Haas Brothers
Located in Ibiza, Spain
This contemporary table lamp, designed by "The Haas Brothers," features a base crafted from brass and a lampshade made of biscuit ceramic.
Combining modern aesthetics with artistic...
Category
2010s American Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Modernist Hand-Blown Fluted Murano Glass & Brass Sconces W/ 24K Gold Flecks
Located in New York, NY
This exquisite pair of modernist sconces exemplifies the artistry of Murano glassmaking, featuring hand-blown fluted glass enriched with delicate 24-karat gold flecks. Crafted in Ita...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Gold, Brass
Art Deco Style Brass Wall Sconces with Glass Rods
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Decorative wall sconces made of a six sided brass structure encasing thin glass rods diffusing the light of the two light sources
Category
2010s Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Brass
Vistosi Novecento Pendant Light in White Glass
Located in Mogliano Veneto, Treviso
The idea behind the collection Novecento is to reduce the traditional Murano chandelier to its most recognizable element, its profile. This shape is then reconstructed in a 360º glas...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting
Materials
Glass
Modern lighting for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Modern lighting for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage lighting created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include lighting, decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern lighting made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original lighting, popular names associated with this style include Vistosi, Artemide, Flos, and DOOQ. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee.
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