Gae Aulenti: maverick of Italian Midcentury design

A Gae Aulenti prototype Saint Moritz table for Pierluigi Ghiandi, never made for production, brought $9,195 plus the buyer’s premium in November 2019. Image courtesy of Viscontea Casa d’Aste srl and LiveAuctioneers.

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A Gae Aulenti prototype Saint Moritz table for Pierluigi Ghiandi, never made for production, brought $9,195 plus the buyer’s premium in November 2019. Image courtesy of Viscontea Casa d’Aste srl and LiveAuctioneers.
A Gae Aulenti prototype Saint Moritz table for Pierluigi Ghiandi, which never went into production, brought €9,000 (about $9,195) plus the buyer’s premium in November 2019. Image courtesy of Viscontea Casa d’Aste srl and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Like the notable 20th-century architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Eero Saarinen, who designed furnishings to complement their buildings, Italian architect Gae Aulenti (1927-2012) excelled at translating architectural principles into decor. As one of a handful of women in the postwar Italian modern movement, she stood out from the crowd. Her keen design acumen led her to design striking pieces of furniture and lighting that embodied the Mid-century Modern aesthetic.

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