Venini Large Tubular Clear Glass Chandelier

Venini Large Tubular Clear Glass Chandelier

Venini was founded in 1921 in the Italian glass making capital of Murano-- in truth an island in the waters surrounding Venice. Venini is still active to this day producing high quality lighting and decorative objects for both individual collectors and major commercial projects. The Venini name is synonomous with great design, having worked with many major artists over the years including Gio Ponti, Carlo Scarpa, Ettore Sottsass, Fulvio Bianconi, and many others. Known originally as Cappellin Venini, the company hired the Italian painter Vittorio Zecchin to be its first art director in what proved to be the first of many wise moves made to quickly establish a reputation for excellence.

Early Venini glass reflects the "streamlined" Art Deco style which they helped to popularize, but Venini was known as a good place for artists to collaborate with Venetian glass artisans, free to pursue their own unique visions in glass with the help of Venini. Venini actively explored new glassmaking techniques, leading the Italian avant garde in moving beyond classic Murano glass blowing. In the 1950s, Venini was a pioneer introducing what today is known as mid-century modern design, especially lighting using glass in the colors of fifties modern. Venini designs are straightforward, clean, and simple, making a design statement with simple shapes and striking colors. Paolo Venini died in 1959, but his artistic tradition and his collaboration with talented artists of the time continues today in Murano.