139: FULVIO BIANCONI, Important Con Macchie vase, model 4324 < Important Italian Glass: A Private Chicago Collection, 23 May 2018 < Auctions

Baldwin Kingrey Con Macchie Vase

This Fulvio Bianconi Con Macchie vase has an interesting and very specific provenance — it belonged to Kitty Baldwin Weese, a founding partner of Baldwin Kingrey, the groundbreaking shop and gallery for modern art and design which opened in Chicago in 1947. The following is reprinted from author John Brunetti’s book, Baldwin Kingrey, Midcentury Modern in Chicago, 1947 – 1957, and describes the genesis of Baldwin Kingrey, the shop’s relationship to Venini glass, and includes a poignant description of the work of designer Fulvio Bianconi:

Today it is extremely unusual to discover a rare Bianconi Con Macchie vase with such a direct and illustrious provenance. Perhaps the most graphic and abstract of all Bianconi’s Macchie vases, this piece is truly a masterwork of 20th century art and design.

During the summer of 1947 a retail furniture store called Baldwin Kingrey opened in Chicago. Its low-cost, space-saving modern furniture from Scandinavian and American designers was urgently needed by ex-GI’s and their families as they faced housing shortages. The store’s founders — architect Harry Weese, his wife Kitty Baldwin, and their partner Jody Kingrey sold out their first shipment of furniture before Baldwin Kingrey had officially opened, affirming their instincts about the value of good design at affordable prices. However, even they couldn’t foresee the art and design nexus Baldwin Kingrey would become, elevating it beyond a simple commercial enterprise. From 1947 to 1957 it was an informal gathering place and exhibition space for leading architects, designers, and artists of the time, such as Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, György Kepes, James Prestini, and Arthur Siegel. The contributions of these individuals defined good design in the second half of the 20th century.

From 1947 through the early 1950s, Baldwin Kingrey played a role in introducing the American middle class to the avant-garde glass work of (these) European companies—objects that had, up to that time, been seen primarily in magazines such as Domus and in traveling museum exhibitions and international competitions. The elegant pieces that punctuated Baldwin Kingrey’s glass shelves were often discovered through personal relationships with designers cultivated by Harry and Kitty on their regular trips to Europe in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The colorful abstract vases and glasses imported from Venini came to Baldwin Kingrey as a result of a meeting with the company’s founder, Paolo Venini:

“Harry and I went to Murano to talk to Venini. We had seen examples of his work at one to the international exhibitions. I think we were the only ones importing him at the time” — Kitty Baldwin

Venini’s introduction to Harry and Kitty could not have been more timely. The lawyer-turned entrepreneur had ambitiously expanded the market for his company’s glass outside of Europe since the 1920s. His friendship with the Weeses led to the introduction of his wares to American retail consumers and helped launch the remarkable success of Venini glass beginning in the early 1950s.

During this period Venini glass was distinguished by a bold, painterly use of color that evoked the gestures of abstract painting. Several of the more distinctive designs sold by Baldwin Kingrey were created by the Italian graphic artist and designer Fulvio Bianconi. Bianconi’s fresh approach to glass eschewed traditional delicacy for muscular, thick-walled vessels that incorporated the imperfections of improvisational processes, in much the same way abstract expressionist painters created their compositions. Bianconi’s three signature designs included the flask-shaped Spicchi, named for the triangular segments that decorate its surface; the Macchie vase, named for the dark purple stains that create a graphic silhouette against clear glass; and the rectangular Pezzato vases, decorated with squares of rich color. These Venini pieces transcend their utilitarian function to become small works of modern art for the home.

Today it is extremely unusual to discover a rare Bianconi Con Macchie vase with such a direct and illustrious provenance. Perhaps the most graphic and abstract of all Bianconi’s Macchie vases, this piece is truly a masterwork of 20th century art and design.