Résumé

The history of the legendary Milanese manufacturer of glass in the new chapter of Le Stanze del Vetro FontanaArte. House of Glass is a book that critically examines the legendary Milanese manufacturer of glass furnishings through the production periods lead by its four great artistic directors: Gio Ponti (1932–1933, with continuous involvement thereafter), Pietro Chiesa (1933–1948), Max Ingrand (1954–1967), and Gae Aulenti (1979-1996).From Ponti’s founding of the company in 1932 until Aulenti’s departure in 1996, the present catalogue – published on the occasion of the major exhibition in Venice – traces FontanaArte’s historical stylistic arc through twentieth-century design, from the rational logic of modernism to the playful wit of post-modernism. Throughout, the company set the standards for Italian design: the seamless continuity between the classical ancient past and the technological present; the perfect marriage of art with industry; the superior quality of materials and hand craftsmanship; and the elevation of the everyday object into a luxurious art of living.