Piero Fornasetti

Lewis has given me the joyful task of discussing Fornasetti. He was born and lived most of his life in Milan Italy. He spent 2 years at an Art Academy there but was expelled for insubordination. I knew I liked that man! Creative people rarely fit into molds. His greatist inspiration was the face of the operatic soprano Lina Cavalieri, which he had found in a nineteenth century magazine. Over the years he drew over 500 images using her face. When asked why he continued to do so, he said that he really didn't know why that he had started doing so and had never stopped. It was the ultimate variation on a theme.

He had several shops where he made his wonderous masterpieces many were tromp l'oeils. Fornasetti's work was enhanced by his working relationship with Gio Ponti. He made wall paper, china, furniture, obelisk, mirrors etc.. His subjects included celestial beings, buildings and meaningful objects such as keys, watches, clocks. His furniture was often hidden behind a city scape or faux malachite. Some pieces looked like bookcases loaded with faux books and shelves. He let his imagination go wild and created some of the most magical pieces imaginable. To learn more about Fornasetti I can recommend the book, "Fornasetti, Conversation with Philippe Stark", by Brigitte Fitoussi.