Elio Martinelli (1922 - 2004)

Italian lighting designer

Elio Martinelli is highly regarded as the maestro of Italian lighting; his lights are icons of the golden age of Italian design and serve as references for designers around the world even to this day. He is known for drawing inspirations from nature and animals and interpreting them with new materials and technology in simplistic yet clever forms. For example, his Pipistrello (bat), Foglia (leaf), Cobra, Serpente and Nuvole Vagabonde (cloud wanderer) were all international best sellers and are much sought after today.Martinelli founded his own brand Martinelli Luce in 1950, which is still in operation and stands as the standard bearer of Italian aesthetics. 

Collections:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Museum of Art, Philadelphia, the Montreal Decorative Arts Museum

COLLECT’S PICK: 

Serpente Table Lamp