Piero Fornasetti

<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piero Fornasetti was a Milanese painter, sculptor and interior decorator. Born in 1913, he was the creator of furniture and decorative objects bearing his whimsical, classical, trompe l'oeil images. Recurring themes included the sun and harlequins, but his most famous creations probably were the items in his "theme and variations" line. These products featured the classically beautiful and enigmatic face of an opera singer named Lina Cavalieri. Her picture appeared in a 19th-century French magazine and Fornasetti used that image to create more than 350 items, including plates. Here is a collection of plates that are available at <a href="http://www.unicahome.com/" target="_blank">Unica Home</a>.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMF6IVPd7lMbJnRiHpZcC38grSXAzgFcLV_JpBIaUVPMSbuzlnXHzGfeISz9shTYToQh6lGEGlAkQuozeyq3dpk5vKBeKZ03mlHS7lye8jk1YwsHjfS7mVIKA6viWhugmXyiYzcMHfcyk/s1600/24869.48A27849%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMF6IVPd7lMbJnRiHpZcC38grSXAzgFcLV_JpBIaUVPMSbuzlnXHzGfeISz9shTYToQh6lGEGlAkQuozeyq3dpk5vKBeKZ03mlHS7lye8jk1YwsHjfS7mVIKA6viWhugmXyiYzcMHfcyk/s1600/24869.48A27849%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people have compared this beautiful opera singer to the Mona Lisa. These plates remind me of Marcel Duchamp's artwork, "L. H. O. O. Q.", which Duchamp created by adding a beard and mustache to a cheap postcard image of the Mona Lisa.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="image" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marcel_Duchamp_Mona_Lisa_LHOOQ.jpg"><img alt="" class="thumbimage" height="395" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6e/Marcel_Duchamp_Mona_Lisa_LHOOQ.jpg/250px-Marcel_Duchamp_Mona_Lisa_LHOOQ.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Image from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.H.O.O.Q." target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>.</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">In fact, one of Fornasetti's plates (below) does feature Lima Cavalieri with a mustache. (Duchamp created "L.H.O.O.Q." in 1919 when Fornasetti was six years old.) </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvW7KkDXXljZH44t6n-ReAT_e3rdu_mQ-sEWNkzvpT_MndohaypcYO39PaP_kse4I7uSnOqB5CyUNLxz5Zl34Lg8KhP6ITwXTFawQobLXyFUXAtrawA8FGYyMA6qnyxy1LJH-NaUZI_s/s1600/24869.46B2FB0C%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvW7KkDXXljZH44t6n-ReAT_e3rdu_mQ-sEWNkzvpT_MndohaypcYO39PaP_kse4I7uSnOqB5CyUNLxz5Zl34Lg8KhP6ITwXTFawQobLXyFUXAtrawA8FGYyMA6qnyxy1LJH-NaUZI_s/s1600/24869.46B2FB0C%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plate images from <a href="http://www.unicahome.com/" target="_blank">Unica Home</a>.</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In addition to plates, Fornasetti created chests, screens and wallpaper, which are popular in decor today. Take a look. . . . </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wjQJMz7GpBSWj-Joj0iJhoDm8k0ISELcPIir07A9N2XC2IrQr_SpTk66DaXajSgmjHzGZqxtz3CpeIw5XAqrbC2DxyUaPM03QGs49QO1qJ_MRJPQ61TbRf_AqYlGvVA4zPZS2nmAdt8/s1600/ADCountryClarity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wjQJMz7GpBSWj-Joj0iJhoDm8k0ISELcPIir07A9N2XC2IrQr_SpTk66DaXajSgmjHzGZqxtz3CpeIw5XAqrbC2DxyUaPM03QGs49QO1qJ_MRJPQ61TbRf_AqYlGvVA4zPZS2nmAdt8/s640/ADCountryClarity.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Piero Fornasetti screen in a new Greek Revival home built in upstate New York.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Architecture by Peter Talbot, AIA.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Interior architecture and design by Shelton, Mindel and Associates.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Michael Moran.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Architectural Digest.</span></div><div align="center"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UlOV_mMnhhQ_nT3KQB8U2sfCO3kKOoOOrE2yoycvYLNCbnetWCUfpf_ufP8MZ2RxfQnvFgEYDjgmf6NqjWAQuNQ-77Vj4_P5zilltdYqCzWQKR6sIsOOx9o05D6M3CtkD-6-erro8sk/s1600/ADLoneStarStatement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UlOV_mMnhhQ_nT3KQB8U2sfCO3kKOoOOrE2yoycvYLNCbnetWCUfpf_ufP8MZ2RxfQnvFgEYDjgmf6NqjWAQuNQ-77Vj4_P5zilltdYqCzWQKR6sIsOOx9o05D6M3CtkD-6-erro8sk/s640/ADLoneStarStatement.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pair of circa 1950 Piero Fornasetti landscape panels in the master bedroom of a</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tudor Revival home in Austin, Texas.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Interior design by Thad Hayes.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Scott Frances.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Architectural Digest.</span><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJtwc5pXgkC3Eblpv7mEESQDkGSrtYtONOokkICUDIWTYf_Hh2glnuZ79hZ19GOVwZCLNGQP4DmWZnY1EZ35qR-mSdcGVLsC9YT-szo_YshFH5_kn937A-5Fu_C1HBgFvMEffC_4IrMg/s1600/BlogPieroFornasettiADMay2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJtwc5pXgkC3Eblpv7mEESQDkGSrtYtONOokkICUDIWTYf_Hh2glnuZ79hZ19GOVwZCLNGQP4DmWZnY1EZ35qR-mSdcGVLsC9YT-szo_YshFH5_kn937A-5Fu_C1HBgFvMEffC_4IrMg/s640/BlogPieroFornasettiADMay2011.jpg" width="484" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piero Fornasetti screen in living room of </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Manhattan penthouse.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Interior design by Delphine Krakoff.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Architect: Mark Ferguson</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Eric Piasecki.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Architectural Digest (May 2011.)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">(The stairs in this screen remind me of the work of <span id="goog_937594979"></span><a href="http://www.mcescher.com/Shopmain/ShopEU/facsprints-uk/prints.html" target="_blank">M.C. Escher<span id="goog_937594980"></span></a>. For copyright purposes, I will not include images of M.C. Escher's work here, but he was a graphic artist (1898 - 1972) famous for his "impossible structures" that trick the eye. I have included a link to the official M.C. Escher website so you can view images of "Up and Down", "Relativity", "Ascending and Descending" and "Waterfall", the art that comes to mind when I look at Fornasetti's stairs.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgujpL6cZ-14f8pa1r5UyNqdJ95GC71Q_mz6Go5ws21tkBuB3fVhKIZJZn0LH8KJeIJVcYdpttpA1Kci9hX89lcaV0znsEIAZXeW9vR7Gi3jKYy5C0ulDtS-P3Hh6-IsDv-7RFvZGdj8/s1600/Cohler-3-0909-xl%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgujpL6cZ-14f8pa1r5UyNqdJ95GC71Q_mz6Go5ws21tkBuB3fVhKIZJZn0LH8KJeIJVcYdpttpA1Kci9hX89lcaV0znsEIAZXeW9vR7Gi3jKYy5C0ulDtS-P3Hh6-IsDv-7RFvZGdj8/s640/Cohler-3-0909-xl%5B1%5D.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here we see the face of Lina Cavalieri in the Fornasetti "Teme e Variazioni" wallpaper </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from <a href="http://www.cole-and-son.com/" target="_blank">Cole and Son</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Manhattan apartment of interior designer Eric Cohler.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Jonny Valiant.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">House Beautiful.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzDVCZDFGvUekGkHCcjQChNVHv0C94Wal15onRpZVXsZ-rBNr6viWw17QnFxc6o4tYqz7eK-JbUzY-HR4NI5R6qetSjC4kjKedK0hIT0G889uiuJ0wtKdq30EAj7FR0TTOFTnuok3P18/s1600/Cohler-9-0909-xl%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzDVCZDFGvUekGkHCcjQChNVHv0C94Wal15onRpZVXsZ-rBNr6viWw17QnFxc6o4tYqz7eK-JbUzY-HR4NI5R6qetSjC4kjKedK0hIT0G889uiuJ0wtKdq30EAj7FR0TTOFTnuok3P18/s640/Cohler-9-0909-xl%5B1%5D.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although <em>House Beautiful</em>'s website does not identify the name of this wallpaper, I am assuming that it is Fornasetti's "Ex Libris" from <a href="http://www.cole-and-son.com/" target="_blank">Cole and Son</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Bathroom in interior designer Eric Cohler's Manhattan apartment.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Jonny Valiant.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">House Beautiful.</span><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKc91zIC8HPP45h95QEhTD40EEq6QaxfvF_w9xGPPzy_VyjGGrlb9laYr-HnlDzO3AMR0epqHqIftbw9mls9rb8J9F5nRTlDwbbLYH3XsKIbijv-kNJhQkd5-2P4IAYxyA463iM8Y4us/s1600/BlogPieroFornasettiEDSept2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKc91zIC8HPP45h95QEhTD40EEq6QaxfvF_w9xGPPzy_VyjGGrlb9laYr-HnlDzO3AMR0epqHqIftbw9mls9rb8J9F5nRTlDwbbLYH3XsKIbijv-kNJhQkd5-2P4IAYxyA463iM8Y4us/s640/BlogPieroFornasettiEDSept2011.jpg" width="528" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> A Piero Fornasetti cabinet in the living area of designer Steven Volpe's <br />San Francisco apartment.<br />Photography by William Abranowicz.<br />Elle Decor (September 2011).</div><div style="text-align: center;">(A  similar chest is available from <a href="http://www.unicahome.com/" target="_blank">Unica Home</a>.)<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEico1LE8gKHiVE0ACh2mv17aP7pwo5svs6JezcVaQ1oz_f4ALJVm5Smmg6FRjftrlDw-5RMa5uUHk4pIc4lTM4L42wvF4v7zK_ZE1qUEkgkgHMYLvjCmsSANnT63J5iAoj3pR8KGZ_v3bg/s1600/BlogPieroFornasettiEDMay2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEico1LE8gKHiVE0ACh2mv17aP7pwo5svs6JezcVaQ1oz_f4ALJVm5Smmg6FRjftrlDw-5RMa5uUHk4pIc4lTM4L42wvF4v7zK_ZE1qUEkgkgHMYLvjCmsSANnT63J5iAoj3pR8KGZ_v3bg/s640/BlogPieroFornasettiEDMay2011.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The closet doors in the master bedroom's dressing area are covered <br />in Piero Fornasetti wallpaper ("Ex Libris"). </div><div style="text-align: center;">Brussels townhouse of Jorge Almada and Anne-Marie Midy, owners of <a href="http://www.casamidy.com/index2.html" target="_blank">Casamidy</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Photography by Simon Upton.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Elle Decor (May 2011). </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPVct4gIqSAgWLsbV0LvP-l2MnL8nW8diFkM9HS83P8LR3QN4uweLIQBOefFkErNZ6crHq5gIoMXIiaLmUiKWniKQelIwDDdj8qBquZuSUQuVWdgZp_RFSyT4cPWCC5-xvMUDTj7Bd70/s1600/hbx-gold-serpent-mirror-0912-Dhong-04-lgn%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPVct4gIqSAgWLsbV0LvP-l2MnL8nW8diFkM9HS83P8LR3QN4uweLIQBOefFkErNZ6crHq5gIoMXIiaLmUiKWniKQelIwDDdj8qBquZuSUQuVWdgZp_RFSyT4cPWCC5-xvMUDTj7Bd70/s640/hbx-gold-serpent-mirror-0912-Dhong-04-lgn%5B1%5D.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fornasetti "Nuvole" paper by <a href="http://www.cole-and-son.com/" target="_blank">Cole and Son</a>.</span><br />Look at the image that is reflected in this mirror.<br />San Francisco Row House.<br />Designer: Benjamin Dhong.<br />House Beautiful.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>

Piero Fornasetti

Piero Fornasetti was a Milanese painter, sculptor and interior decorator. Born in 1913, he was the creator of furniture and decorative objec...

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