Vistosi Ecos Wall Sconce in White Striped Glass with Glossy Chrome Frame

Italian designer and architect Renato Toso creates beautiful mid-century modern and modern pendant lights and sconces out of creamy Murano glass. His designs have a chic retro appeal characterized by soft curves and effortless elegance. He is part of the design firm Toso, Massari Associates, which he founded with his wife, designer Giovanna Noti Massari.

Toso was born in 1940 in Murano, Italy. Murano is a Venetian island with a long glassmaking tradition. Both Toso and Massari studied architecture in Venice and founded Toso, Massari Associati in 1966. The studio specializes in architecture and lighting design for interior and industrial spaces. 

Toso, Massari Associati has partnered with numerous companies over the years, including lighting company Leucos, which Toso and Massari participated in founding. The studio has designed collections for historic lighting manufacturer Vistosi, one of Murano’s most prominent glassmakers. In 2007, Toso, Massari Associati created a series of modular lamps called Ecos for the company. This series was followed up in 2013 by the Noon lamp collection, based on the moon’s phases.

The studio has won first place in several design competitions and shows, including the Venice Biennale, the Milan Triennial XII and the National Design Competition in Trieste. Its work has been exhibited at the Louvre in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Palazzo Grassi in Venice.

Today, Toso and Massari’s children — Anna, Marco, Pio and Tito —are all part of Toso, Massari Associati.

On 1stDibs, find Renato Toso lighting, decorative objects, serveware and more.

Demonstrative of a unique marriage between artistry and technical excellence, Vistosi lighting fixtures were born from a rich Italian glassmaking tradition. The prolific glass manufacturer came to prominence after World War II for its modernist lighting designs, and today Vistosi is known for opulent chandeliers, lamps and sconces.

The history of Vistosi reaches as far back as 1640, when the Gazzabin family of Murano opened a furnace for producing Murano glass art. "Vistoso," which was originally a nickname, became part of the family's surname and eventually the name “Vistosi” was used to refer to the family’s glass creations.

Vistosi would be recognized by the glassmakers’ guild in Murano during the late 18th century — with Gio-Batta Vistosi becoming head of the guild — but Napoleon dissolved the Venetian state and closed the region’s glass factories by 1807. The modern iteration of the Vistosi company was founded in Murano in 1945 by Guglielmo Vistosi, a Gazzabin family heir.

During the 1950s, Vistosi's grandchildren, Gino and Luciano Vistosi, began specializing in lighting. In the 1960s and ‘70s, the company worked with renowned Italian furniture designers like Adalberto Dal Lago, Ettore Sottsass and Gae Aulenti. One of Vistosi's most famous collaborations was with Italian architect and designer Angelo Mangiarotti. In 1967, Mangiarotti designed a modular crystal-hook lighting system called Giogali that has enjoyed popularity and acclaim to this day.

In 1989, Vistosi was taken over by businessman Giancarlo Moretti, who had an extensive background in the lighting industry. Moretti's son, Matteo Moretti, reinvigorated the business with a series of new design collaborations in 1993. Some of the most notable partnerships included Chiaramonte and Marin, Mauro Olivieri and Michele De Lucchi.

Vistosi has participated in every Euroluce showcase since the lighting exhibition began in 1976. In 2005, the company won the ADI Design Index award for Mangiarotti's Giogali system. In 2007, Vistosi won the Eurispes award and participated in a Compasso d'Oro competition.

Today, Vistosi is still a leader in the lighting industry, shifting to LED and creating new types of lead-free crystal glass for its stunning range of lighting fixtures.

Find a collection of vintage Vistosi lighting and decorative objects on 1stDibs.