Large Original Hand Drawn Pencil Sketch of 'the Philosipher
About the Item
- Creator:Gio Ponti (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 95.5 in (242.57 cm)Width: 31.5 in (80.01 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1940
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Little Burstead, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2100327778952
Gio Ponti
An architect, furniture and industrial designer and editor, Gio Ponti was arguably the most influential figure in 20th-century Italian modernism.
Ponti (1891–1979) designed thousands of furnishings and products — from cabinets, lamps and chairs to ceramics and coffeemakers — and his buildings, including the brawny Pirelli Tower (1956) in his native Milan, and the castle-like Denver Art Museum (1971), were erected in 14 countries. Through Domus, the magazine he founded in 1928, Ponti brought attention to virtually every significant movement and creator in the spheres of modern art and design.
The questing intelligence Ponti brought to Domus is reflected in his work: as protean as he was prolific, Ponti’s style can’t be pegged to a specific genre. In the 1920s, as artistic director for the Tuscan porcelain maker Richard Ginori, he fused old and new; his ceramic forms were modern, but decorated with motifs from Roman antiquity. In pre-war Italy, modernist design was encouraged, and after the conflict, Ponti — along with designers such as Carlo Mollino, Franco Albini, Marco Zanuso — found a receptive audience for their novel, idiosyncratic work. Ponti’s typical furniture forms from the period, such as the wedge-shaped Distex chair, are simple, gently angular, and colorful; equally elegant and functional. In the 1960s and ’70s, Ponti’s style evolved again as he explored biomorphic shapes, and embraced the expressive, experimental designs of Ettore Sottsass Jr., Joe Colombo and others.
His signature furniture piece — the one by which he is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Germany’s Vitra Design Museum and elsewhere — is the sleek Superleggera chair, produced by Cassina starting in 1957. (The name translates as “superlightweight” — advertisements featured a model lifting it with one finger.) Ponti had a playful side, best shown in a collaboration he began in the late 1940s with the graphic artist Piero Fornasetti. Ponti furnishings were decorated with bright finishes and Fornasetti's whimsical lithographic transfer prints of things such as butterflies, birds or flowers; the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts possesses a 1950 secretary from their Architetturra series, which feature case pieces covered in images of building interiors and facades. The grandest project Ponti and Fornasetti undertook, however, lies on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean: the interiors of the luxury liner Andrea Doria, which sank in 1956.
Widely praised retrospectives at the Queens Museum of Art in 2001 and at the Design Museum London in 2002 sparked a renewed interest in Ponti among modern design aficionados. (Marco Romanelli’s monograph written for the London show, offers a fine overview of Ponti’s work.) Today, a wide array of Ponti’s designs are snapped up by savvy collectors who want to give their homes a touch of Italian panache and effortless chic.
Find a range of Gio Ponti furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Little Burstead, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- 'El Dans', a Composition of Ceramic Tiles Signed and Dated 1957 by the ArtistBy Marian Zawadzki, Tilgmans KeramikLocated in Little Burstead, EssexA stunning, and almost certainly unique, piece of midcentury Scandinavian ceramic art, signed by the artist, 'Marian Z.' (short for Marian Zawadzki) for Tilgman Keramik, Sweden. The...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Contemporary Art
- Yellow Plastic Wall or Ceiling Panels from a 1970s Swiss BankLocated in Little Burstead, EssexWe bought a large quantity of these very high quality cast plastic panels from a Swiss bank which was being totally refurbished. These panels were covering ...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Scandinavian Modern Contemporary Art
MaterialsPlastic
- Clessidra Lamp in the style of Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce MonzaBy Angelo Lelii, ArredoluceLocated in Little Burstead, EssexA fine little 1960s table lamp, fully rewired and working, and with good original finish.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Original Oak and Bouclé Cigar Chairs by Hans J Wegner for GETAMABy GETAMA, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Little Burstead, EssexFine original 1950s pair of these super comfortable classic chairs by master designer Hans J Wegner for GETAMA. The frames in oak and fresh bouclé fabric covers ready for your midce...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Original Vintage Picchio Adjustable Table Lamp by Mauro MartiniBy Mauro Martini, Fratelli MartiniLocated in Little Burstead, EssexA very original Classic counterbalance Lamp by Mauro Martini for Fratelli Martini. Not mint, but nicely aged and patinated, and in perfect working condition! The lighting can be ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsSteel
- Stainless Steel and Carrara Marble Tables in the Style of Poul KjaerholmLocated in Little Burstead, EssexThese tables are part of our new bespoke service. Please note that they the metal parts are bright silver colour, as they look slightly gold in some of the photos! They are produ...Category
2010s British Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsCarrara Marble, Stainless Steel
- Michael Kenny Preparatory Sketch from the Serpentine ShowBy Michael Kenny RALocated in London, GBStudy for a man seated sculpture Michael Kenny RA Original Artist: Michael Kenny RA (1941-1999) Chalk numbers on verso Born in Liverpool 1941, he son of an engineer. Studied at Liverpool art school, alongside Stuart Sutcliffe (an early Beatle) and John Lennon. He then went onto Slade in 1961 to study under Reg Butler, who nicknamed his protege "the Liverpool Italian". His distinguished career began when exhibited in Oxford in 1964. Michael was one of the most influential British sculptors of his generation and his contemplative geometric stone works became increasingly well regarded. He was elected associate member of the Royal Academy in 1976 and a Royal Academician in 1986. Today his work is held in museums all over the world including the British Museum, The Tate Gallery and the V&A in London. He has had solo shows in Germany, Sweden, Milan, Paris, Los Angeles, London, Japan and Dubai. Subsequently many corporations and private collectors throughout the world hold examples of his work. On Michael Kenny's gravestone in Highgate cemetery is the title of one of his sculptures, More Loved Than Known. The legend has been prophetic. He has a passionate following among the thousands of students he taught, who include Antony Gormley and Damien Hurst. Michael Kenny: Sculpture & Drawings This was an exhibition of Michael Kenny’s recent sculptures and drawings, from 1975 to 1977. Kenny (1941-1999) first studied in his home city of Liverpool before moving to London to continue his studies at the Slade. Following a successful international career, he was appointed a Royal Academician in 1986, and in 1997, two years before his death, he had a solo exhibition at the Royal Academy. Several of the sculptures in this Serpentine exhibition derived from his earliest pre-occupation, the human figure. In the works displayed, Kenny took particular inspiration from the female figure, lying or sitting, occupying, and informing an intimate space. We can see the workings of the Artist and possible preparatory sketch for the included sculpture in the following images. Michael Kenny was a sculptor and a painter, a prolific draughtsman and a print-maker. His early sculptures are dramatic, dealing with the isolation and loneliness of the individual. In later years, he worked mainly in stone in a quest for a sculpture that is simple in form and rich in meaning. With over 60 illustrations and key excerpts from the sculptor's own notebooks, this book provides the first opportunity to examine in detail the progress of Michael Kenny's career. Peter Davies...Category
Vintage 1970s English Post-Modern Drawings
MaterialsWood, Paper
- Jim Dine 8 Hearts Pencil Signed Original LithographBy Jim DineLocated in Miami, FLA framed 8 Hearts lithograph by Jim Dine.Category
Vintage 1970s American Contemporary Art
MaterialsPaper
- Large, Signed Livio de Simone Original Hand Painted Geometric Fabric FramedBy Livio de SimoneLocated in New York, NYLarge, Signed Livio de Simone original hand painted geometric shaped pattern on cotton fabric. Made in Italy. Livio de Simone, designer-artist and cre...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Contemporary Art
MaterialsCotton
- Original Poster by Miró for the Opening of the "Fundació Joan Miró, " 1975By Joan MiróLocated in Cathedral City, CAOriginal Joan Miró lithographic poster, 1975 printed by La Poligrafa, Barcelona in an edition of 2000, with brass finish frame. Catalogue raisonne: Corredor-Matheos, Jose´, and Gl...Category
Vintage 1970s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Contemporary Art
MaterialsBrass
- Very Large Stylish Original Painting of Designer ShoesBy Fay SciarraLocated in Hopewell, NJOriginal acrylic on canvas, bold, big and fun, of shoes floating in space with iconic designer labels. Titled Shoe Dream. Painted on sides so framing is not necessary. By well known Princeton artist, Fay Sciarra.Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Art
MaterialsCanvas
- Jorge Blanco 'B1945' American, Original Graphite/Colored Pencil/PastelLocated in Sarasota, FLJorge Blanco 'B1945' American, Original Graphite/Colored Pencil/Pastel. Depicting a golfer swinging his golf club. Colorful piece with graphite, green, orange, yellow, and blue color...Category
2010s American Contemporary Art
MaterialsPaper
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Barnaba Fornasetti’s Hallucinatory House Has His Father’s Spirit
Behind a nondescript facade in northeastern Milan is the magical residence of Barnaba Fornasetti. It's a shrine to the style developed by his design-legend father, which still defies categorization.
Billy Cotton Layers His Interiors with Lived-In Comfort
The Brooklyn-based designer is adept at styles ranging from austere to over-the-top, espousing an architectural, detail-oriented approach also evident in his line of furniture and lighting.