On view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ever since reading Roberta Smith’s article Clear, Opaque and Oh, So Delizioso, published on December 6th, 2013, in The New York Times (online Dec. 5th), I’ve been meaning to stop in to see the Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa: The Venini Company, 1932-1947 exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I finally made it along yesterday and I’m so happy to say, it truly is an impressive show.

Normally you want to view glass under natural lighting to really appreciate all the minute details and textures, so it was impressive to see the Met do such a good job at illuminating these pieces. The quality of the work and craftsmanship of Paolo Venini—founder of Venini Glassworks—and his master glass blowers really shines through.

The glassblowing techniques—and even the names of the techniques—are incredibly interesting. From smooth to rough, the colors and shapes created through employment of these various glass working techniques show so clearly how in control Venini and his master glassblowers were, and how they were able to achieve exactly the finishes and forms Scarpa envisioned. And while the larger pieces were very impressive, it’s not always about scale for these pieces. Some of the smaller pieces, the ones you could imagine easily holding in your hand, are some of the most intense, with their rich colors seeming to emanate out to fill the space around them.

Seriously, these pieces were so stunningly presented that it’s a real shame I couldn’t take photos while I was inside, but here are some courtesy of the museum. Enjoy!

Carlo Scarpa (right) with glassmaker Arturo Biasutto in the Venini factory, Murano 1943. Photo from the Archivio Storico Luce.

Green ovoid sommerso glass vase with gold-leaf inclusions and twisted ribbing on the interior, ca. 1934. Lent by The Steinberg Foundation, Courtesy of The Corning Museum of Glass. Part of the Sommersi series, ca. 1934-36.

Truncated cone-shaped glass vase of murrain romane technique, ca. 1936. Private collection. Part of Murrine romane series, ca. 1936-40.

Left to right: Green mezzo filigrana glass bowl of ovoid section, 1934, private collection. Large sky-blue mezzo filigrana glass vase on blown-glass foot, 1934, private collection. Green ovoid mezza filigrana glass vase, 1934–36, The Olnick Spanu Collection, New York. All part of the Mezza filigrana series, ca. 1934-36.

Rigati e tessuti glass vases and bowl, ca. 1938–1940. Private collection; Private collection; Chiara and Francesco Carraro Collection, Venice; European Collection. Part of the Rigati e tessuti series, ca. 1938-48.

Truncated cone-shaped red and black lacquered glass vase, ca. 1940, and red and black lacquered glass bowl, ca. 1938. Private collection, Treviso. Part of the Laccati neri e rossi series, ca. 1940.

Red lacquered glass vase, ca. 1940, and red lacquered glass vase, ca. 1942. Both in private collections. Part of the Laccati neri e rossi series, ca. 1940.

Thick smoke-gray (fumé) iridati glass perfume bottle with stopper consisting of overlaid clear glass layers of different colors with hot-applied bugne and iridized surface, ca. 1940. Private collection. Part of the Iridati series, ca. 1940.

Thick smoke-gray (fumé) iridati glass vase consisting of overlaid clear glass layers of different colors with hot-applied bugne and iridized surface, ca. 1940. Private collection, Montebelluna (TV). Part of the Iridati series, ca. 1940.

Truncated cone-shaped glass vase with velato finish and incise decorations, ca. 1940–42 and a glass vase with jagged rim, velato finish, and deep incise decorations, ca. 1940–42. Both in private collections. Part of the Incisi series, 1940-1942.

Thick black glass vase with battuto finish, ca. 1940 and yellow cased glass vase with battuto finish, ca. 1947. Private collection, Treviso. Part of the Battuti series, ca. 1936-45.

Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa: The Venini Company, 1932-1947 is on until March 2, 2014, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

* All works depicted were designed by Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978) for Venini glassworks unless otherwise noted. All images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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    Ambra Medda

    Ambra is a passionate, seasoned curator, who facilitates great design through innovative collaborations between designers, artists, brands, and institutions. Among many other things.