Vico Magistretti: Milanese Rationalism, Softened
Some designers try to surprise with every object; others are recognisable precisely by the absence of effect. Vico Magistretti was one of the latter. A Milanese architect and designer, born in 1920 and dead in 2006, he spent his career looking for the simplest form, the one that seems always to have existed. He is one of the central figures of Milanese rationalism, a rationalism softened in his case by real attention to domestic use.
A training between Milan and Lausanne
Vico Magistretti was born in Milan into a family of architects; his father Pier Giulio was one. He began his architecture studies at the Politecnico of Milan in the late 1930s, then, during the war, went to Switzerland, where he attended courses in Lausanne. There he met Ernesto Nathan Rogers, the architect and theorist whose thinking would shape his training. Back in Milan in 1945, he completed his degree and took part in the reconstruction that would make the city one of the capitals of design.
In the 1950s, Magistretti moved from architecture to mass-produced furniture and lighting. He never entirely left architecture, but it was objects made in large numbers that made his name outside Italy, with several Compasso d'Oro awards.
The Atollo
His best-known piece is the Atollo, designed for Oluce. A cylindrical base, a conical stem, a hemispherical cap: three simple geometric volumes that make up an outline which has become almost the standard drawing of a table lamp. That reduction to essentials sums up his work well.
As the Atollo has been reissued since its creation, telling a period example from a recent production takes attention. We cover this question in an article, vintage versus reissue, to help place a piece and read its manufacturing details.
Eclisse and Maralunga
For Artemide, Magistretti designed the Eclisse lamp, which earned him the Compasso d'Oro in 1967. An inner pivoting shell masks or uncovers the source, like an eclipse, hence the name. This small bedside lamp shows how he could fit a sound idea into a modest object.
With Cassina, where he began working in the early 1960s, Magistretti turned to seating and the sofa. The Maralunga, designed in 1973, has a back whose upper section lifts thanks to a built-in mechanism, giving the choice between a low seat and a headrest. It has had lasting success and remains one of the most recognisable sofas in the Cassina catalogue. Here again, the idea reveals itself in use.
On the vintage market
Magistretti's work is well recognised and was widely distributed by major houses. Period examples of the Atollo and the Eclisse are sought after, and the Maralunga is still appreciated for its comfort. As with all classics produced continuously, the price depends on the production period, the original condition and the traceability, criteria we document without putting forward a figure.
What we check
For an Atollo, we check the Oluce marking, the condition of the lacquer or metal, the proportions and the wiring. For an Eclisse, the Artemide marking, the pivoting mechanism and the condition of the shell. For a Maralunga, we try the adjustable back and examine the upholstery and the frame. Each piece is photographed in natural light, marking included, and its listing states the model, the estimated production period and the condition. Pieces for sale are on the Vico Magistretti page.
By
LAPIERRE MARKET
