Design 
14 December 2017
Design 
200

Gino Sarfatti

drawing for ceiling light, model 2003

Arteluce
Italy, 1939 / 1953
graphite, ink and watercolor on paper 15¾ h × 12¼ w in (40 × 31 cm)
estimate: $1,500–2,000
result: $1,875
follow artist
own a similar item?
free evaluation

This rendering of ceiling light, model 2003 was made under the design direction of Gino Sarfatti for the SAPE restaurant in 1953.
Signed and dated to lower margin: [Gino Sarfatti 1953].
provenance: Collection of Gino Sarfatti | Thence by descent | Private Collection, Chicago

print

Gino Sarfatti 1912–1984

follow artist

Born in 1912, Gino Sarfatti revolutionized the field of Italian lighting design. As a teenager, Sarfatti switched his field of study from classics to aeronautical engineering, later incorporating the scientific precision he learned from his engineering background into crafting his light fixtures. He opened his lighting atelier Lumen in 1935, which quickly gained popularity as a new voice in the field of lighting. Lumen advertised in the influential Italian design magazine Domus, and Sarfatti opened a showroom in the Via Verdi. However, in 1938, Sarfatti left Lumen and went on to found the firm Arteluce along with his wife Jolanda Marazza Sarfatti and architects Maurizio Bolchini and Franco Buzzi.

In 1940, Arteluce participated in the VII Triennale in Milan. Due to the bombings during World War II, Sarfatti moved the production of Arteluce from Milan to Albavilla. However, soon after moving production, he was forced into exile in Switzerland after facing persecution for his Jewish heritage. Following the end of WWII he gained recognition for his extraordinary work, returning to Italy and continuing his leadership of Arteluce. His lighting was showcased in the groundbreaking exhibit Italy at Work at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1950, which featured the work of 150 Italian designers and craftsmen.

Auction Results Gino Sarfatti

Gino Sarfatti

chandelier, model 2040

estimate: $20,000–30,000

result: $72,100

Gino Sarfatti

chandelier

estimate: $15,000–20,000

result: $40,800

Gino Sarfatti

chandelier

estimate: $25,000–35,000

result: $40,000

Gino Sarfatti

Lollipop chandelier, model 2072

estimate: $30,000–40,000

result: $39,600

200