A tall, mid-century ceramic table lamp with figures in shades of yellow, blue, red, and green by master Italian ceramicist Marcello Fantoni.

MARCELLO FANTONI (1915–2011) was born in Florence in 1915. He began studies at the Instituto d’Arte Porta Romana in Florence when he was twelve under the great ceramicist Carlo Guerrini. His training in the arts included sculpture classes with Libero Andreotti (1875–1933) and Bruno Innocenti (1906–1986) and instruction in figure drawing with the painter Gianni Vagnetti (1898–1956). Fantoni graduated from the institute as a maestro in 1934, and, after a stint as the art director of a ceramics factory in Perugia in neighboring Umbria, opened the Fantoni Ceramic Studio in Florence in 1936. Here he produced serial and individual pieces along with sculptures and furnishings.

In 1937 Fantoni’s work was shown in the Florence National Arts and Crafts Exhibit. Its rustic forms and painted decoration commanded a lion’s share of the attention. By the onset of WWII, Fantoni’s integration of Modernist elements with ancient Italian pottery techniques had won him artistic and commercial success at home and abroad.

In the initial years following the War (during which he participated in the Italian resistance), Fantoni worked for the centuries-old Maiolica factory in Deruta, Umbria, renowned for its signature tin-glazed pottery. In the 1950s, he refocused on his studio in Florence where he devoted himself to larger sculptural pieces as well as multiple collaborations. Fantoni’s post-war work, with its technical mastery and unique abstract style, helped push ceramics into the sphere of serious art. It raised the profile of Italian ceramics and laid the groundwork for their lasting prestige.

Fantoni drew from varied influences—Primitivism, Novecento style, Cubism, and Abstract Expressionism—experimenting with materials and forms alike. Marcello Fantoni designed numerous collections that translated the essentials of his explorations into objects that could be put into serial production. A special emphasis on ancient Etruscan techniques, glazes, and colors heightened the timelessness of much of his output. In addition to clay, he frequently worked in metals to great effect. Every Fantoni piece was ultimately rendered unique by his hand-painting of it. His painting style remains one of the most identifiable qualities of his creations.

In 1970 Fantoni founded the International School of Ceramic Art, dedicated to teaching ceramic arts and experimentation. Many of his students and employees went on to become noteworthy artisans and artists. Fantoni maintained great versatility throughout his career, completing many large-scale projects for public and private buildings. When he died in Florence in 2011 at the age of 95, his obituary in La Nazione hailed him as “the master of beauty.”

The following museums hold works by Fantoni: MoMA, the Met, and the Brooklyn Museum in New York City; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; the Royal Museum in Edinburg; and the National Museums of Modern Art of Tokyo and Kyoto in Japan; the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza and the National Bargello Museum and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

If done with passion, it becomes fashion. – MARCELLO FANTONI

DETAILS

Designer – MARCELLO FANTONI

Design Period/Year – 1960s

Maker – FANTONI CERAMIC STUDIO

Production Period/Year – 1960s

Origin – ITALY

Styles/Movements – MID-CENTURY MODERN

Materials – CERAMIC

Colors – COLORS

Shade – INCLUDED

Power – UP TO 120V (US STANDARD), CORDED, TYPE “A” PLUG

Condition – Excellent vintage condition. May show minor signs of previous ownership and use.

Dimensions – 18" DIAM. × 40" H