FONTANA ARTE
Fontana Arte was founded in 1933 by Luigi Fontana, Gio Ponti and Pietro Chiesa as a premier producer of furniture, lighting and furniture. The company distinguished themselves for setting the highest standards of glass craftsmanship and techniques for the time. Throughout Fontana Arte’s history, its lamps and furniture have been highly sought after due to their superior glass craftsmanship and innovative design. In 1932, Gio Ponti approached Pietro Chiesa to join him and Luigi Fontana and to become Luigi Fontana SA’s artistic director. During Chiesa’s tenure as artistic director, Fontana Arte’s production became rich and varied. Chiesa created what would become Fontana Arte’s signature colors of the time, deep blue and green, which Chiesa integrated so successfully into many of his creations. It included furniture, tables, mirrors, sculptures, and stained glass, creating the highest standard for glass craftsmanship and modern designs.
From the very beginning Fontana Arte set up a robust creative program as well as an assertive agenda to increase its visibility. In 1933, (the same year it was founded), Fontana Arte participated in the Venice Biennale, the V Triennale di Milano (Milan Triennial), and other major international exhibitions. It opened stores on via Montenapoleone in Milan and on via Condotti in Rome. It expanded its international sales through partnerships, becoming a symbol of refined taste and modernity. During World War II, Fontana Arte’s fortunes declined, and Pietro Chiesa served as its artistic director until his unexpected death in Paris in 1948.
In 1954, Max Ingrand, who was artistic director of the French glass maker Saint Gobain and a Fontana Arte shareholder since 1952, became artistic director of Fontana Arte. During Max Ingrand’s early artistic tenure, Fontana Arte focused on innovative combinations of metals and glass pieces that came to represent the aesthetic of the Fontana Arte brand throughout the 1950's. In the early 1950's, Max Ingrand established a design collaboration between artist Lucio Fontana and architect Roberto Menghi. Fontana Arte created stunning tables with large ceramic bases and glass tops. But these were also times of great opportunities brought about by the change in taste, an expanding market for designer furniture and lighting in Italy and abroad, in addition to the improvements in manufacturing techniques. Wanting to take full advantage of these opportunities, Max Ingrand rapidly moved Fontana Arte from a limited, exclusive, and very expensive production line into a modernized and highly serialized one, while maintaining its superior quality by implementing simpler designs. Important products realized during these years include the Dalia chandelier model 1563 and Omai table lamp model 2260 (Max Ingrand, 1954). Max Ingrand continued as Fontana Arte’s artistic director until 1967. From 1967 until 1969, when Saint-Gobain sold Fontana Arte to a group of Italian investors, Gio Ponti led the artistic direction of the company and designed the Pirellone and Pirellina lamps in 1967. Ponti was a skilled artist as well as being editor of Domus Magazine. Glass was his most popular material, he made it a distinguishing feature in furniture, lamps and objects. Having trained as an architect, he applied his knowledge of homes in interior décor. Not only objects for the interior, Fontana Art designed many stained-glass windows in churches and cathedrals, including the Duomo of Milan. In 1979 the artistic direction was entrusted to Gae Aulenti who created the iconic Tavolo con ruote and the Parola lamp in 1980 with Piero Castiglioni. Fontana Arte is still in existence today and collaborates with contemporary artists creating innovative designs.
