1970s Venini Gocce Chandelier Designed by Ludovico Diaz De Santillana

Description

A beautiful and rare Venini ceiling mount light designed by Ludovico Diaz de Santillana, the son-in-law of Paolo Venini. This … more A beautiful and rare Venini ceiling mount light designed by Ludovico Diaz de Santillana, the son-in-law of Paolo Venini. This design is know as "Gocce" an Italian word for drop, as in water or rain drop. This design is less common and rare in comparison to other Venini lighting pieces. The ceiling mount is chromed steel and has three rows of suspended standard sockets. There are two rows of five outer sockets and one inner row of four sockets. Surrounding the sockets are 39 hand blown glass "Gocce" or drops in two lengths. The drops are approximately 26 inches and 33 inches in length. The ceiling mount measures 22 inches long and 15.5 inches wide. The total drop of the light fixture is 36 inches.

The Gocce chandelier was designed in the early 1960s by Ludovico Diaz de Santillana, son-in-law of Paolo Venini, and the company’s successor after Venini’s death in 1959. Santillana continued the classic Venini style while introducing new ideas into the art glass tradition, such as monumental glass architectural design.
Trained as an architect, Santillana became famous for dramatic lighting installations that became focal points within their space. He was adept at creating the appearance of weightlessness in massive glass and steel structures, often appearing as the naturalistic drips and cascades of waterfalls.
The term ‘gocce’ means ‘drops’ in Italian. In a single chandelier there are as many as 1,300 individually crafted, mouth blown crystal drops. Ranging in size from three to ten feet in length, the drops also have a six to eight inch circumference at their base. Each drop is secured with a metal cap with hook at its top which is then hangs from the polished steel metal frame. Other known examples of Gocce chandeliers include a group of six chandeliers (also available) for a bar in Northern Italy, and a set of chandeliers at the Manchester Airport, now part of a museum collection in the UK and recently featured in a BBC News story showing the chandelier hung in the St Helens World of Glass Museum. less