Max ingrand Sconce for Fontana Arte, 1955
Description
Max Ingrand sconce for Fontana Arte, glass and brass, Italy, 1955
Designed in 1955 by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte, this sconce exemplifies the poetic elegance and technical mastery that defined Italian lighting in the postwar era. It features three overlapping glass blades in soft pastel tones—amber, aquamarine, and smokey grey—arranged around a central opaline glass core. A sculpted brass finial anchors the composition with precision and warmth.
The layered transparency of the glass creates a dynamic interplay of color and light, diffusing a soft glow that shifts subtly depending on the viewing angle. With its floral-inspired geometry and sensual materiality, this piece reflects Ingrand’s unique ability to merge decorative impulse with architectural clarity.
A master of light and glass, Max Ingrand served as artistic director of Fontana Arte from 1954 to 1967, shaping a distinctly Italian modernist vocabulary. His work resonates alongside that of Gino Sarfatti, Carlo Scarpa, and Pietro Chiesa—designers who transformed lighting into a medium of spatial expression. Comparable in spirit to Gio Ponti’s layered geometries and Lucio Fontana’s spatial experimentation, this sconce embodies the refined complexity of Italian mid-century design.
More than functional lighting, it is a sculptural gesture—an object that animates space with delicacy and depth.
Dimensions
Height: 21.66 in (55 cm)
Width: 12.21 in (31 cm)
Depth: 3.94 in (10 cm)
Design
1955
Manufacture
1950-1959
Material
Glass and Brass
Condition
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