The monumental and original works of a revolutionary figure in Murano glass art

A splendid catalog devoted to the work of an artist who was responsible for some of the most original glass artworks in art history. Napoleone Martinuzzi became a partner of leading Murano glassmaker Paolo Venini in 1925. In his capacity as the artistic director of V.S.M. Venini & Co., he designed marvelous objects until 1931. This book reviews his entire body of work as a glass designer, consisting of about 600 pieces identified after lengthy and thorough research. Unpublished records in the Archivio Storico Venini have allowed researchers to appreciate the full extent of Martinuzzi's contribution to the factory's production and to identify many of his designs, some of which were previously unknown. After devising elegant, clear blown glass objects, the artist went on to explore previously unseen matter like bubble glass and opaque glass in intense and solid colors. In so doing, Martinuzzi designed a wide repertoire of vases, cups, lights, and peculiar decorative objects like fruits, colored glass creatures, and succulent plants, some of which were monumental in size. The book contains a wide range of period photographs, signed designs, and factory drawings.

Marino Barovier is an author and independent curator. He was born in Venice into one of the oldest families of Murano glassmakers. In 1983, he joined his wife, Marina, in the study of the history of twentieth-century Murano glass.