Paolo Venini
Encyclopedia
Paolo Venini emerged as one of the leading figures in the production of Murano glass
and an important contributor to twentieth-century design.
, Italy
. After serving in the Italian army
in World War I
, he trained as a lawyer and began his practice in Milan. He soon developed an acquaintance with Giacomo Cappellin, a native of Venice who owned a Milan antique shop.
, the historic glass production center in the lagoon of Venice, Italy, under the name Vetri Soffiati Muranesi Cappellin Venini & C.. With Luigi Ceresa and Emilio Hochs as investors, they arranged to purchase the recently-closed Murano glass factory of Andrea Rioda, hire the former firm's glassblowers, and retain Andrea Rioda himself to serve as technical director of the venture.
Their plans went quickly awry, however, when Rioda died before production had begun. Several of the principal glassblowers
decamped to found a competitor under the name Successori Andrea Rioda. Nonetheless, the venture was successfully launched and prospered with support from the founders' distribution contacts in Milan. The firm also benefited from a commitment to introducing new, modern design concepts.
Following disputes, Cappellin withdrew from the firm in 1925, taking most of the firm's master glassblowers and launching a competitor. Venini reorganized with new glassblowers and, first as Soffiati Muranesi Venini & C. and later as Venini & C., achieving a position as a design leader among Murano firms. Venini himself played a role in designing several of the firm's best-known products, including the famous "fazzoletto" (handkerchief) series which he created with designer Fulvio Bianconi.
Following Venini's death in 1959, the firm was initially continued by other family members and then sold in 1985.
Murano glass
Murano glass is a famous product of the Venetian island of Murano. Located off the shore of Venice, Italy, Murano has been a commercial port as far back as the 7th century. By the 10th century, the city had become well known for its glassmakers, who created unique Murano glass...
and an important contributor to twentieth-century design.
Training
Venini was born in the town of Cusano near MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. After serving in the Italian army
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
in World War I
Italy in World War I
This article is about Italian military operations in World War I.Italy, though nominally allied with Germany and Austria-Hungary, refused to join them when the war started. Instead Italy entered the war on the Allied side in May 1915....
, he trained as a lawyer and began his practice in Milan. He soon developed an acquaintance with Giacomo Cappellin, a native of Venice who owned a Milan antique shop.
Career
In 1921 Venini and Cappellin opened a glass factory on the islands of MuranoMurano
Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy. It lies about 1.5 km north of Venice and measures about across with a population of just over 5,000 . It is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking...
, the historic glass production center in the lagoon of Venice, Italy, under the name Vetri Soffiati Muranesi Cappellin Venini & C.. With Luigi Ceresa and Emilio Hochs as investors, they arranged to purchase the recently-closed Murano glass factory of Andrea Rioda, hire the former firm's glassblowers, and retain Andrea Rioda himself to serve as technical director of the venture.
Their plans went quickly awry, however, when Rioda died before production had begun. Several of the principal glassblowers
Glassblowing
Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
decamped to found a competitor under the name Successori Andrea Rioda. Nonetheless, the venture was successfully launched and prospered with support from the founders' distribution contacts in Milan. The firm also benefited from a commitment to introducing new, modern design concepts.
Following disputes, Cappellin withdrew from the firm in 1925, taking most of the firm's master glassblowers and launching a competitor. Venini reorganized with new glassblowers and, first as Soffiati Muranesi Venini & C. and later as Venini & C., achieving a position as a design leader among Murano firms. Venini himself played a role in designing several of the firm's best-known products, including the famous "fazzoletto" (handkerchief) series which he created with designer Fulvio Bianconi.
Following Venini's death in 1959, the firm was initially continued by other family members and then sold in 1985.