Max Ingrand (1908-1969) for Fontana Arte
Lens coffee table, #1774
Italy, circa 1958
crystal, concave mirrored crystal, enameled steel, brass
unmarked
32 5/8"dia x 14 3/8"h

Provenance:
Private Collection, Cefalù, Italy

Literature:
"Cristalli Fontana Arte," Domus, No. 344, Editoriale Domus, July 1958, p. 52

Deboni, Franco, Fontana Arte: Gio Ponti, Pietro Chiesa, Max Ingrand, Allemandi, 2012, fig. 409

Falconi, Laura, and Massimo d'Alessandro, editors, Luci e Trasparenze: Fontana Arte, Galleria Babuino Novecento, 2006, pp. 36-37 and 86

Quaderno Fontana Arte, No. 2, 1961, p. 8

Catalog Note:
In 1908, Maurice Max-Ingrand, later known simply as Max Ingrand, was born in the town of Bressuire in western France. He went on to study in Paris at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts and École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs with Jacques Grüber and Charles Lemaresquier. In 1931, Ingrand married Paulette Rouquié, with whom he pursued glass etching and began exhibiting his works. This led to several private stained-glass commissions for Ingrand, including Notre-Dame de Paris and other cathedrals throughout France. Ingrand’s nascent career was interrupted by World War II when he was drafted for military service in 1939. From 1940 to 1945, Ingrand was held as a German prisoner. Upon his release, Ingrand returned to Paris, divorced his wife, and, in 1946, married Marie-Alberte Madre-Rey; the couple would later have two children together. Quickly reestablishing himself as a leader in the field of stained glass, Ingrand produced windows and other decorative installations for churches in France and internationally. At the same time, Ingrand sought to apply his glass research and insights to the field of modern design, starting with lighting fixtures. He was named artistic director for Italian design house Fontana Arte in 1954. Over the next 13 years, Ingrand would create various iconic lamps, chandeliers, sconces, vases, tables, and other interiors, which masterfully achieve a balance between ornateness and minimalism. In 1968, Ingrand was chosen as the president of the French national lighting association and he also founded Verre Lumière (’True Lighting’), which was an early maker of halogen lamps. Ingrand died unexpectedly of influenza in Paris in 1969 and was awarded the French Legion of Honor to recognize his important contributions in the fields of stained glass and modern design. Today Fontana Arte continues to offer products created by Ingrand and his original works are held in the collections of multiple notable museums while also regularly bringing high prices at auction.

Very minor wear to base and vintage patina to brass. Very slight surface scratches to glass. Overall excellent vintage condition.