Private collection, Milan, gifted directly by the artist Thence by descent
Catalogue Essay
The present lot was gifted directly by Gio Ponti to a Milanese gentleman and colleague of his during his time as editor of the art and design publication Domus.
Among the most prolific talents to grace twentieth-century design, Gio Ponti defied categorization. Though trained as an architect, he made major contributions to the decorative arts, designing in such disparate materials as ceramics, glass, wood and metal. A gale force of interdisciplinary creativity, Ponti embraced new materials like plastic and aluminum but employed traditional materials such as marble and wood in original, unconventional ways.
In the industrial realm, he designed buildings, cars, machinery and appliances — notably, the La Cornuta espresso machine for La Pavoni — and founded the ADI (Industrial Designer Association). Among the most special works by Gio Ponti are those that he made in collaboration with master craftsmen such as the cabinetmaker Giordano Chiesa, the illustrator Piero Fornasetti and the enamellist Paolo de Poli.
circa 1955 Oil on panel, in two parts, in artist's frame. 43 x 35.4 x 8 cm (16 7/8 x 13 7/8 x 3 1/8 in.) framed Each panel signed PONTI lower right. Together with a certificate of expertise from the Gio Ponti Archives.
