Best known for its elegant and innovative vintage lighting fixtures, the Milan-based firm Fontana Arte pioneered one of the key features of 20th-century and contemporary Italian design: the union of artistry and industry wrought by partnerships between creative talents — chiefly architects — and entrepreneurial businesses. Fontana Arte is further distinguished by having had as artistic director, in succession, four of Italy’s most inventive modernist designers: Gio Ponti, Pietro Chiesa, French transplant Max Ingrand and Gae Aulenti.
The bread and butter of the glassmaking company that Luigi Fontana founded in 1881 was plate-glass panels for the construction industry. In 1930, Fontana met Ponti — then the artistic director of the Richard Ginori ceramics workshop and the editor of the influential magazine Domus — at a biannual design exhibition that became the precursor to today’s Milan Design Triennale, and the two hatched an idea for a furniture and housewares firm. Fontana Arte was incorporated in 1932 with Ponti as its chief of design. He contributed several lamps that remain among the company’s signature works, including the orb-atop-cone Bilia table lamp and the 0024 pendant — a stratified hanging sphere.
The following year, Fontana Arte partnered with the influential Milan studio glassmaker and retailer Pietro Chiesa, who took over as artistic director. Chiesa’s designs for lighting — as well as for tables and items including vases and ashtrays — express an appreciation for fluidity and simplicity of line, as seen in works such as his flute-shaped Luminator floor lamp and the 1932 Fontana table — an arched sheet of glass that is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Six years after Chiesa’s 1948 death, the École des Beaux Arts–trained Max Ingrand took over as head of design at Fontana Arte. Ingrand brought a similarly expressive formal sensibility to wares such as lamps and mirrors, but he also had a masterful eye for the manipulation of glass surfaces — whether they be cut, frosted, acid-etched or sand-blasted. His classic design is the Fontana table lamp of 1954, which has a truncated cone shade and curved body, both of which are made of pure, chic white-frosted glass.
Following Ingrand, the often-audacious Italian architect Gae Aulenti served as the company’s artistic director from 1979 to 1996, and while she generally insisted that furnishings take second place aesthetically to architecture, she made an exception for Fontana Arte pieces such as the Tavolo con Ruote series of glass coffee and dining tables on wheels, bold lighting pieces such as the Parola series and the Giova, a combination flower vase and table lamp. As a key incubator of modern design under Aulenti’s tenure, Fontana Arte remained true to its long-held commitment — creating objects that have never been less than daring.
Find vintage Fontana Arte lighting fixtures such as pendants, table lamps and more on 1stDibs.
Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, Pair of ‘Micro’ Sconces, Model 2240, 1950s, Signed
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Brescia, Brescia
A rare and authentic pair of ‘Micro’ sconces, model 2240, designed by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte in the 1950s. Each sconce features double profiled glass panels: two thick, polishe...
Brass
Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, Rare Pair of Large Sconces, Italy 1955
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Brescia, Brescia
Designed in 1955 by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, this rare pair of large wall sconces exemplifies the poetic elegance and technical mastery that defined postwar Italian lighting. Ea...
Brass, Metal
Pair of Large Version “Gamma” Wall Sconces by Sergio Mazza for Artemide, 1960s
By Sergio Mazza, Artemide
Located in Brescia, Brescia
An exceptional pair of wall sconces from the iconic "Gamma" series, designed by Sergio Mazza for Artemide in the 1960s. This is the largest and most desirable version of the model, measuring approximately 27 cm in diameter, 38 cm deep, and 20 cm high, offering a more substantial architectural presence than the smaller variants commonly encountered on the market. The design perfectly reflects Sergio Mazza’s mastery of geometric form and material balance. Each fixture is composed of a large spherical diffuser in finely ribbed pressed glass, enclosed by a sculptural brushed nickel-plated brass structure that wraps elegantly around the globe, creating a striking interplay between transparency, texture, and metal. When illuminated, the radial pattern embedded within the glass becomes particularly evident, diffusing light evenly while producing a soft, atmospheric glow. The substantial dimensions and balanced proportions allow these sconces to function not only as lighting fixtures but also as sculptural wall elements. What makes this pair especially remarkable is its condition and provenance. These sconces come from a rare old stock acquisition and have never been installed or used. As shown in the photographs, they are still preserved in their original Artemide bags, an increasingly rare circumstance for lighting produced over half a century ago. The brushed nickel-plated brass surfaces retain their original finish, while the pressed glass diffusers remain beautifully preserved. The overall presentation is exceptionally crisp, displaying the freshness and integrity normally associated with contemporary production rather than vintage pieces. Designed by Sergio Mazza during Artemide’s formative years, the Gamma series represents one of the earliest expressions of the company's commitment to combining technical innovation with refined Italian modernism. Today these models are increasingly sought after by collectors, architects, and design enthusiasts for their timeless aesthetic and versatility. Presented in outstanding New Old Stock condition, complete with original Artemide packaging. A rare opportunity to acquire an unused pair of the largest Gamma wall sconces...
Brass, Nickel
Pair of Wall Lights Designed by Jacques Adnet, From the Nevada line, France, 50s
By Jacques Adnet
Located in Brescia, Brescia
Pair of very rare wall lights designed by Jacques Adnet, from the Nevada line, France, 1950s. These sculptural wall sconces exemplify Adnet's refined post-war language, where rigor ...
Brass, Metal
Pair of "LP19 Monaco" Wall Lights by Luigi Caccia Dominioni for Azucena, 1980s
By Azucena, Luigi Caccia Dominioni
Located in Brescia, Brescia
This substantial pair of LP19 Monaco wall sconces by the renowned Luigi Caccia Dominioni for Azucena showcases the designer’s signature fusion of elegance and bold form. Measuring ge...
Metal, Brass
Pair of Two-Light V-149/2 Wall Sconces by Hans-Agne Jakobsson for AB Markaryd
By AB Markaryd, Hans-Agne Jakobsson
Located in Brescia, Brescia
Executed in brass with substantial horizontal arms and spherical smoked amber glass shades, these wall lights perfectly express Jakobsson’s refined and atmospheric design language, w...
Brass
Max Ingrand Rare Pair of Large Brass and Frosted Glass Sconces Model 1963
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in New York, NY
Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte rare pair of large model 1963 sconces, Italy, circa 1960. These exquisite sconces consist of brass structures which hold opaline or frosted glass diffuse...
Brass
Pair of Wall Lights Mod N°2240 by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, 1960s
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Brussels, BE
Pair of Wall Lights Mod N°2240 by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, 1960s
Brass
Max Ingrand Rare Pair of Modernist Sconces Model 2213 in Glass and Brass
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in New York, NY
Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte rare and exquisite pair of modernist sconces or wall lights with light blue bent cut and bevelled glass and smaller central bent frosted glass held by br...
Glass
Rare pair Max Ingrand wall lights Model 1598. Italy c1956
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in London, GB
Rare pair of wall lamps /sconces Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte. Model "1598" Italy c1956. Thick curved glass diffusors, partially satin-finished with 5 chiseled sections in each. ...
Bronze
Pair of wall lights by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, Italy 1950's
By Max Ingrand
Located in Trieste, IT
Pair of chrome plated and satinated glass wall lights designed by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte.
Brass, Chrome
Pair of Model 2433 Sconces by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Model 2433 Sconces by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, Italy, 1960s This pair of sconces, model 2433 by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, reflects the designer's gift for pairing a...
Brass, Chrome
