Gino Sarfatti

All images courtesy of Archivio Storico FLOS
Model 548, courtesy of Archivio Storico FLOS
Model 559 © J. Becker, © J. Becker courtesy of Archivio Storico FLOS
Model 2129, courtesy of Archivio Storico FLOS
Teatro Regio, courtesy of Archivio Storico FLOS
Teatro Regio in Turin, courtesy of Archivio Storico FLOS

Born in Venice in 1912, Gino Sarfatti studied aero-naval engineering at the University of Genoa. In 1939, he launched Arteluce, a modern lighting design firm that quickly established itself as a successful international brand, as well as a meeting place for many of the leading Italian designers of the time.

Over the course of his career, Sarfatti designed over 400 lamps, dedicating himself throughout to technical, material, and production research and experimentation. In the mid 1950s, he began to work with Plexiglas, and in the early ’70s, he pioneered the incorporation of halogen bulbs into fixtures. Notable designs include the 1958 Sarfatti pendant lamp.

Sarfatti and Arteluce won several awards, including the Compasso d’Oro in 1954 and 1955. Flos acquired Arteluce in 1973, before Sarfatti died in Gravedona in 1985.