Vistosi Cumulus Table Lamp – 1972 Catalogue Picture
Vistosi Cumulus Table Lamp
Peill + Putzler‘s white version of this lamp. The German company produced it in several variations; clear and white glass, as the original, and at least also in red and green.
Lamps In The Movies!
A Vistosi Cumulus table lamp was used as a prop in the 1975 American political thriller film Three Days of the Condor. A film directed by Sydney Pollack starring Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway.
Links (external links open in a new window)
The Vistosi history can be found on their website: www.vistosi.com/company/history
Murano glass blowing – Wikipedia
Murano glass Museum on the Murano island
Three Days Of The Condor (1975) – Wikipedia
Three Days Of The Condor (1975) – IMDb
Vintageinfo
Many thanks to Peter from BGgalleries for the catalogue picture, you can find his website over here.
Vistosi Cumulus Table Lamp
Materials: White opal and clear crystal hand blown Murano glass lampshade. Opaque on top, terminating clear at the base. Bakelite E27 socket.
Height: 36 cm / 14.17”
Width: ∅ 34 cm / 13.38”
Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 100 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb with an E27 screw base can be used. For this type of table lamp preferable an opaque/white light bulb.
Period: 1960s, 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: Enrico Capuzzo.
Manufacturer: Vistosi, Murano, Italy.
Other Versions: The Vistosi Cumulus table lamp exists in 1 version. No other versions exists. It is model L-249.
This table lamp is often presented as a lamp designed by Luciano or Gino Vistosi, but it is not, as you can see in the catalogue picture.
In the USA this lamp was sold by Koch & Lowy.
The German company Peill + Putzler made an almost identical lamp with the same dimensions, as you can see below with a label. It often leads to confusions.
Enrico Capuzzo
Enrico Capuzzo designed several lamps and items for the Vistosi company. His most well known lamp is the Sculpture table lamp, most of the time named Sebenica (model T-253), the reason is unclear. You can find it over here, on Vintageinfo. Other lamps by is hands are, among others, the Bianca table lamp (model L-252), the Futura table lamp (model L-248) and the Venetian table lamp (model L-239). All designed around 1965.
Enrico Capuzzo also designed glass objects and lamps for the other famous Murano company Venini, together with Paolo Venini.
Capuzzo is/was an architect and he designed many buildings such as the Palasport Giobatta Gianquinto (Palasport Arsenale) in Venice, Italy in 1977.
Vistosi
Early Origins
The story of Vistosi begins in Murano with the Gazzabin family, who acquired the Al Bastian furnace in 1640. Soon after, the family name “Vistosi” emerged, and by 1791Gio-Batta Vistosi had become Gastaldo dell’Arte, head of the Murano glassmakers’ guild.
A New Beginning after the War
In 1945Guglielmo Vistosi, heir of the Gazzabin family, opened a new furnace in Murano right after World War II, focusing on lighting. Following his premature death, his sons Gino and Luciano, together with their uncle Oreste, laid the foundation of the modern Vistosi company.
The Design Revolution of the 1950s–1980s
The arrival of Venetian architect Alessandro Pianon in 1956 marked a turning point. With Gino and Luciano, he transformed the company into a pioneer of innovation and modern design.
From the late 1950s to the 1980s, Vistosi collaborated with some of the most influential names in design, such as Angelo Mangiarotti, Gae Aulenti, Ettore Sottsass Jr., Massimo Vignelli, Adalberto Dal Lago, Stefania Giannotti, Elleonore Peduzzi Riva, Vico Magistretti, Michele De Lucchi and many others. This golden era produced some of the most iconic Vistosi lighting, now highly sought after by collectors.
The Moretti Era
In 1989 the brand was acquired by Murano businessman Giancarlo Moretti, who had long experience in the glass industry. His son Matteo Moretti later relaunched the company after a short closure in the 1990s, expanding it with the acquisition of brands such as Alox, G2 and Triade.
The last of the founding generation, Luciano Vistosi (1930 – 2010), devoted his later life to research and glass sculpture, leaving a lasting artistic legacy.
Innovation and Recognition since the 2000s
From the early 2000s, Vistosi entered a new phase of experimentation and recognition. Collections such as Rina, Cheope09 and Minigiogali updated traditional techniques for contemporary forms. Later came Giogali 3D, a new interpretation of the famous chandelier, and Diadema, created with a unique patented rod process. Award-winning designs like Futura, Nodo, Trepai, Jube, Sata, Stone and Armonia confirmed Vistosi’s relevance in international design.
In 2019 the company celebrated the 50th anniversary of Giogali, and in the following years it was recognised among the 100 Eccellenze Italiane, partnered with the Venice Glass Week, and launched a Virtual Museum, e-commerce platform and LED collections.
Designers of the Contemporary Period
Under the Moretti family, Vistosi worked with a wide range of contemporary designers, including Chiaramonte & Marin, Mauro Olivieri, Barbara Maggiolo, Paolo Crepax, Monica Agnolazza, Silvio Zanon, Giovanni Barbato, Matthias Hickl, Roberto Maci, Alberto Nason (son of Carlo), Romani Saccani Architetti Associati, Gregorio Spini, Emmanuel Babled, Oriano Favaretto, Marco Acerbis, Castaglia Associati, Pio e Tito Toso, Renato Toso, and Noti Massari & Associates.
A Defining Design
A remarkable fact in Vistosi’s history concerns the famous Giogali chandelier series. Although countless catalogues, books and online sources credit the design to Angelo Mangiarotti, it was in fact created by Gino Vistosi himself – according to Gino Vistosi’s daughter.
Lamps In The Movies!
A Vistosi Cumulus table lamp was used as a prop in the comedy film Bedside Dentist from 1971. The original Danish name is Tandlæge på sengekanten.
