Italian Brass Theatre Wall Light Sconces by Gio Ponti in the style of Stilnovo, Italy, 1970s, Set of 2

Born in Milan in 1891, Giovanni (Gio) Ponti studied architecture at Politecnico. After serving in World War I, he worked as Art Director for respected ceramics company Richard-Ginori. Between 1923 and 1927, he partnered with architects Mino Fiocchi and Emilio Lancia. In 1928, Ponti launched both his own architectural studio and the famed magazine Domus. Through the pages of Domus—and, later, those of Lo Stile, which he founded and edited between 1941 and 1947—Ponti influenced international design taste for over 50 years.

Around 1933, he teamed up with engineers Antonio Fornaroli and Eugenio Soncini to form Studio Ponti-Fornaroli-Soncini, which embraced a decidedly Modernist idiom and lasted until 1945. In 1950, he won the design commission for what became one of the 20^th century’s most iconic buildings: Milan’s 32-storey Pirelli Tower (built 1956). In 1952, he partnered with architect Alberto Rosselli (Studio Ponti-Fornaroli-Rosselli); after Rosselli’s death in 1976, Ponti continued to collaborate with longtime partner Fornaroli.

Throughout his career, Ponti juggled numerous roles, including architect, industrial designer, craftsman, professor, painter, editor, and journalist. In addition to his prolific architectural work, Ponti’s design credits are also extensive, ranging from coffee machines (the world’s first, the Pavoni, in 1949) to lighting and furniture for the likes of Cassina, Artemide, and Venini.

Italian lighting manufacturer Stilnovo was founded by designer Bruno Gatta in 1946 in Lainate, an industrial suburb of Milan. In response to the aftermath World War II—at a time when Italy was focused on rebuilding under conditions of scarcity—Gatta dedicated Stilnovo to the production of innovative lighting elements that embody rationalist, form-follows-function principles.

In the postwar era, designer Gaetano Sciolari took on the role of in-house designer. As economic recovery swept through Italy, Stilnovo became known as a prestigious and cutting-edge brand for both public and private spaces.

In the mid-1960s, Bruno’s son, Dino Gatta, had the idea to invite some of the best designers of the day to develop new products, and Stilnovo became a hotbed of progressive design ideas and a laboratory for material experimentation. Standouts from this futuristic era include the Periscopio Floor Lamp (1967) by Danilo & Corrado Aroldi, the Treiedo Spotlight (1970) and the Topo Adjustable Wall Lamp (1970) by Joe Colombo, the Lucetta Table Lamp (1970) by Cini Boeri, the Fante Desk Lamp (1978) by De Pas, D’Urbino, Lomazzi, and the Valigia Desk Lamp (1977) by Ettore Sottsass. Many Stillnovo pieces were exhibited in MoMA’s landmark Italy: The New Domestic Landscape exhibition in 1972.

Massimo Anselmi, an art director from the worlds of fashion design and contemporary art, acquired Stilnovo in 2012 and launched re-editions of iconic Stilnovo designs at Salone the following year.