1970s VeArt Table Lamp
Materials: Round open glass base. Hand-blown translucent blue Murano glass lampshade, frosted inside. Brass joint and parts. White painted Bakelite E27 socket.
Height: 31 cm / 12.20”
Width: 32 cm / 12.59”
Base: ∅ 18,5 cm / 7.28”
Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 100 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used. Not a specific one preferred. For this setup a blue 25 watt incandescence light bulb was used.
Period: 1970s, 1980s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: Umberto Riva – attributed.
Manufacturer: VeArt, VE-ART, Via Moglianese, 30037, Scorzè, Venice, Italy.
Other versions: This 1970s VeArt table lamp exists in several colours and 2 sizes. The smaller model is 20 cm / 7.87” high. A very similar lamp, model VT. 67, often named Medusa is also by his hand.
Vistosi produced a table lamp in this style, also with a hole on the side.
Umberto Riva
Umberto Riva, born June 16, 1928, Milan, Italy, studied architecture in Venice, where he was a pupil of Carlo Scarpa, graduating in 1959.
Riva began his professional activity in Milan in 1960. He was an architect, furniture and lighting designer.
He designed lighting for companies such as FontanaArte, Barovier&Toso, Francesconi, Bieffeplast and VeArt.
Umberto Riva passed away in Palermo, Sicily, June 25, 2021.
VeArt
VeArt, first written as Ve-Art was founded in 1965 by Sergio Biliotti and Ludovico Diaz de Santillana. Ludovico Diaz de Santillana was born in Rome in 1931. He graduated in architecture in Venice and he started teaching at the university. He married Anna Venini, the daughter of Paolo, the founder of the Venini glass company.
Ludovico Diaz de Santillana became the artistic director of Venini in 1985, after Paolo‘s death. He died in 1989.
The VeArt company produced artistic glass and lighting. Mario Ticco was artistic director for a while. In the early 90s the brand was acquired by Artemide. The Artemide company used the brand’s name for a couple of years.
Designers that worked for VeArt are, among others: Tobia Scarpa, Renato Toso, Noti Massari, Toni Zuccheri, Paolo Zanotta, Ernesto Gismondi = Orni Halloween, Umberto Riva, Alfredo Giuseppe Righetto, Lino Tagliapietra, Roberto Freno, Luciano Bartolini, Luisa Calvi, Giorgio de Ferrari, Gigi Basso, Luigi Ghisetti, Umberto Riva, Sergio Asti.