Piero Fornasetti Gravure Italian Mid-Century Modern Magazine Rack Brass Stand
About the Item
- Creator:Piero Fornasetti (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 17 in (43.18 cm)Depth: 15 in (38.1 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Mid-20th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Small chips and dings to enamel and patina to brass.
- Seller Location:Philadelphia, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU934122110762
Piero Fornasetti
The Italian artist and illustrator Piero Fornasetti was one of the wittiest and most imaginative design talents of the 20th century. He crafted an inimitable decorative style from a personal vocabulary of images that included birds, butterflies, hot-air balloons, architecture and — most frequently, and in some 500 variations — an enigmatic woman’s face based on that of the 19th-century opera singer Lina Cavalieri. Fornasetti used transfer prints of these images, rendered in the style of engravings, to decorate an endless variety of furnishings and housewares that ranged from chairs, tables and desks to dinner plates, lamps and umbrella stands. His work is archly clever, often surreal and always fun.
Fornasetti was born in Milan, the son of an accountant, and he lived his entire life in the city. He showed artistic talent as a child and enrolled at Milan’s Brera Academy of Fine Art in 1930, but was expelled after two years for consistently failing to follow his professors’ orders. A group of his hand-painted silk scarves, displayed in the 1933 Triennale di Milano, caught the eye of the architect and designer Gio Ponti, who, in the 1940s, became Fornasetti’s collaborator and patron. Beginning in the early 1950s, they created a striking a series of desks, bureaus and secretaries that pair Ponti’s signature angular forms with Fornasetti’s decorative motifs — lighthearted arrangements of flowers and birds on some pieces, austere architectural imagery on others. The two worked together on numerous commissions for interiors, though their greatest project has been lost: the first-class lounges and restaurants of the luxury ocean liner Andrea Doria, which sank in 1956.
Fornasetti furnishings occupy an unusual and compelling niche in the decorative arts: they are odd yet pack a serious punch. They act, essentially, as functional sculpture. A large Fornasetti piece such as a cabinet or a desk can change the character of an entire room; his smaller works have the aesthetic power of a vase of flowers, providing a bright and alluring decorative note. The chimerical, fish-nor-fowl nature of Fornasetti’s work may be its greatest strength. It stands on its own. Bringing the Fornasetti look into the future is Barnaba Fornasetti, who took the reins of the company after his father's death.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Philadelphia, PA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Vintage Mid-Century Modern Brass Frame 2 Tier Magazine Rack StandLocated in Philadelphia, PAVintage Mid-Century Modern brass frame 2 tier magazine rack stand. Item features a (2) tier design, brass frame, very nice vintage item, clean modernist lines, great style and form. ...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Vintage A. Ravenel Paris French Mid Century Modern Brass Magazine Rack StandLocated in Philadelphia, PAVintage A. Ravenel Paris French Mid Century Modern Brass Magazine Holder Stand. Item features an adjustable height (23"-26"), original French makers stamp, quality craftsmanship, sle...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Vintage Mid Century Modern Clear Acrylic Lucite Magazine Rack HolderLocated in Philadelphia, PAVintage Mid Century Modern Clear Acrylic Lucite Magazine Rack Holder. Circa 1970s. Measurements: 14" H x 12" W x 7" D.Category
Vintage 1970s Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsLucite
- Mathieu Mategot Mid Century Modern Black Hairpin Metal Mesh 2 Tier Magazine RackBy Mathieu MatégotLocated in Philadelphia, PAMathieu Mategot Mid Century Modern Black Hairpin Metal Mesh 2 Tier Magazine Book Stand. Item features iron construction, Plenty of storage, Very nice vintage item, Clean modernist li...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsIron
- Arthur Umanoff Teak Wood Mid Century Danish Modern Compass Book Magazine RackBy Arthur UmanoffLocated in Philadelphia, PAArthur Umanoff Teak Wood Mid Century Danish Modern Compass Book Magazine Rack. Item features Mid 20th Century Measurements: 22" H x 16.5" W x 18" D.Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsTeak
- Antique Italian Metal Yellow Toleware Magazine Rack Stand Envelope Letter ShelfLocated in Philadelphia, PAAntique Italian metal yellow toleware magazine rack stand envelope letter shelf. Item features lower envelope slots, unique scenes to both sides, metal frame, circa early-mid-20th ce...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsMetal
- Piero Fornasetti Magazine RackBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Henley-on Thames, OxfordshirePiero Fornasetti magazine rack with wooden frame and Hand colored silk-screened decoration. Fornasetti label to the base. Atelier Fornasetti, Italy, circa 1950.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Piero Fornasetti Magazine StandBy Piero FornasettiLocated in New York, NYMagazine stand designed and manufactured by Piero Fornasetti in the 1950s. Lithographic transfer print depicting a basket of colorful flowers. Has brass legs and a center handle. Ori...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Piero Fornasetti Strumenti Musicali Magazine RackBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Los Angeles, CAMagazine rack by Italian designer and artist, Piero Fornasetti, circa 1950s, Italy. The rack features a musical themed lithograph printed on plywood with a wire brass divider on the ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Piero Fornasetti, Mid Century Modern, Magazine Rack, Lacquer, Metal, Italy 1960sBy FornasettiLocated in Stamford, CTPiero Fornasetti, Mid Century Modern, Magazine Rack, Lacquer, Metal, Italy 1960s A rare Piero Fornasetti labeled and numbered no. 1 of 98 having a lacquered metal and brass form. Th...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Piero Fornasetti Strumenti Musicali Magazine Rack, 1950sBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Miami, FLA rare and early magazine stand or portariviste designed and manufactured by the Italian master of playful and surreal self-expression Piero Fornasetti in the 1950s. The vintage rack...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsMetal, Brass, Enamel
- Coat Stand by Piero Fornasetti, ItalyBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Dallas, TXBeautiful coatstand by Piero Fornasetti, constructed of solid brass and bronze-colored steel. The coatstand is very elegant, Art Nouveau in design is in very good original condition ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBrass