A Lyrical Line
Combining Decò and “Novecento” styles, this chair was one of six examples designed by Ponti for the count’s home. Expertly crafted by the cabinetmaker Mario Quarti, the curved seatback flows seamlessly into the chair posts and the legs are gracefully contoured; these details would be lost in later production versions of the chair.
Ponti continually reinvented his forms, keeping them fresh and contemporary. In 1936, Casa e Giordana presented a variation with an adhered curved back at the VI Triennale. This expressive chair is the first version of a design whose variations would be produced for decades.
Variation of this chair produced by Cassina, 1949. Gio Ponti: L'Arte Si Innamora Dell'Industria, La Pietra
Gio Ponti 1891–1979
Gio Ponti excelled at painting as a child and expressed a fervent interest in the arts. Feeling that a career in architecture was preferable to that of a painter, Ponti’s parents encouraged him to pursue the former and in 1914 he enrolled at the Faculty of Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano. His studies were interrupted by war, and in 1915 he was forced to postpone his education. He served as a captain in the Pontonier Corps until 1919, earning multiple military honors. After graduating in 1921, Ponti married Giulia Vimercati, the daughter of local aristocracy and started an architecture firm. During this time, Ponti aligned himself with the neoclassical movement, Novecento and championed a revival of the arts and culture. In 1928, Ponti founded Domus, a periodical tailored to artists and designers, as well as the broader public. A shift occurred in the 1930s when Ponti took up a teaching post at his alma mater, the Politecnico di Milano. In search of new methods to express Italian modernity, Ponti distanced himself from the sentiments of Novecento and sought to reconcile art and industry. Together with the engineers, Eugenio Soncini and Antonio Fornaroli, Ponti enjoyed great success in the industrial sector, securing various commissions throughout Italy. In the 1950s, he gained international fame with the design of the Pirelli Tower in Milan and he was asked to be a part of the urban renewal of Baghdad, collaborating with top architects from around the world. His 1957 book, Amate l’architettura, is considered to be a microcosm of his work —an incredible legacy spanning art, architecture, industrial design, publishing and academia.
Upcoming Lots Gio Ponti
224
Gio Ponti
Candelabra, pair
estimate: $1,000–1,500
225
Gio Ponti
Armchairs from the Hotel Parco dei Pricipi, Rome, pair
estimate: $10,000–15,000
226
Gio Ponti
Ceiling light
estimate: $10,000–15,000
230
Gio Ponti
Ceiling light
estimate: $10,000–15,000
231
Gio Ponti
Rare coffee table for the Hotel Royal, Naples
estimate: $7,000–9,000
234
Gio Ponti
Console table
estimate: $5,000–7,000
238
Gio Ponti
Cafe table for the Hotel Parco dei Principi, Sorrento
estimate: $7,000–9,000
243
Gio Ponti
Sofa
estimate: $2,000–3,000
244
Gio Ponti
Diamond flatware
estimate: $10,000–15,000
Auction Results Gio Ponti
Gio Ponti
Room from the 9th Triennale of Milan 1951
estimate: $300,000–400,000
result: $324,000
Gio Ponti
custom coffee table from Villa Arreaza, Caracas
estimate: $50,000–70,000
result: $170,500
Gio Ponti
rare sofa for Palazzo Liviano, University of Padova
estimate: $50,000–70,000
result: $161,000
Gio Ponti
coffee table from Villa Arreaza, Caracas, Venezuela
estimate: $50,000–70,000
result: $156,000
Gio Ponti
pair of Diamond armchairs from the Lisa Ponti residence, Milan
estimate: $30,000–35,000
result: $144,000
Gio Ponti
custom coffee table from Via Dezza 49
estimate: $25,000–30,000
result: $134,400
Gio Ponti
executive desk
estimate: $70,000–90,000
result: $132,000
Gio Ponti
pair of Diamond lounge chairs from Via Dezza 49
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $132,000
Gio Ponti
coffee table
estimate: $100,000–125,000
result: $132,000
Gio Ponti
Rare lounge chairs, pair
estimate: $70,000–90,000
result: $131,000
Gio Ponti
Rare and Important coffee table
estimate: $70,000–90,000
result: $125,000
Gio Ponti
Diamond sofa from the Lisa Ponti residence, Milan
estimate: $40,000–50,000
result: $120,000
Gio Ponti
Diamond sofa from Via Dezza 49
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $114,000
Gio Ponti
executive desk
estimate: $35,000–45,000
result: $106,200
Gio Ponti
pair of Diamond lounge chairs from Villa Arreaza, Caracas
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $100,900
Gio Ponti
rare Diamond dining table
estimate: $70,000–90,000
result: $100,000
Gio Ponti
vessel from the Classical Conversation series
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $96,000
Gio Ponti
pair of lounge chairs from Villa Arreaza, Caracas
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $92,500
Gio Ponti
custom armchairs, pair
estimate: $50,000–70,000
result: $90,000
Gio Ponti
set of eight dining chairs from Villa Arreaza, Caracas
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $86,500
Gio Ponti
rare coffee table
estimate: $50,000–70,000
result: $80,500
Gio Ponti
important dining table from Villa Arreaza, Caracas
estimate: $50,000–70,000
result: $80,500
Gio Ponti
Diamond sofa from the Lisa Ponti residence, Milan
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $80,400
Gio Ponti
desk
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $78,000