As part of the session devoted to Italian glassware, PIASA offers a selection of pieces made by the greatest craftsmen that the peninsula has known during the 20th century. Among them, Fulvio Bianconi.
Born in Padua in 1915, Fulvio Bianconi began his career as an apprentice glassmaker in Murano under the direction of Michael Pinto. After experimenting in illustration and graphic design, he met the glassmaker Paolo Venini. His production is characterized by a great diversity of typologies (art objects, vases, lamps...). Eminently sensual, the shapes of his pieces are marked by a very marked chromaticism which is not without recalling abstract painting at that time.
He also works as an illustrator and graphic designer with a wide variety of Italian publishers such as Mondadori, Bompiani and Garzanti. In 1946 Fulvio Bianconi met Paolo Venini: this was the beginning of his collaboration with Venini, a great glassmaker from the city of Murano and a pioneer of the 20th century. With Venini, Fulvio Bianconi creates objets d'art, vases, lighting with bright colours, simple shapes and often organic inspiration.
The astonishing inventiveness of the bestiary and of the scenes he calls up is illustrated, for example, with lot 129, estimated at between 800 and 1,200 euros, or lot 127, estimated at between 4,000 and 6,000 euros.
Fulvio Bianconi (1915-1996) Sculpture Blown glass Venini
Estimation : 800 / 1200 €
This vase (lot 126) bears witness to the inventiveness of this master glassmaker and the closeness of his entire work to painting. Inspired by the iconographic repertoire of the Serenissima, the decoration of this piece depicts gondoliers, rowing by hand, perched at the end of their densely coloured boat. Estimated at 4,000 and 6,000 euros, it was made by Fulvio Bianconi in 1958.
Fulvio Bianconi (1915-1996) Dish Polychromatic blown glass
Estimation : 4000 / 6000 €
An extremely rare piece, the blown glass vase dated 1969 is offered for sale with an estimate of between 20,000 and 30,000 euros. The very carnal surface of this work, only two of which have been published, testifies to the virtuosity of this master glassmaker. The bands of this colour blend harmoniously together, giving the vase a dynamic appearance, imitating movement.
Although today Fulvio Bianconi's pieces are presented in most of the major collections throughout the world, they continue to arouse great interest among French, Italian and international collectors.
