Ernesto Gismondi, aerospace engineer and true soul of the group, and Sergio Mazza, who designed the first Artemide lamp – the Alfa model – but left the company after a few years, founded Artemide in 1959. The brand’s success was immediate, with models such as the Eclisse lamp by Vico Magistretti, equipped with a dimmable diffuser that simulates the phases of the moon, and the experimental Boalum by Livio Castiglioni.
A few decades later, some of the brand’s biggest bestsellers arrived: the Tizio lamp by Richard Sapper, with its innovative sculptural forms, and the Tolomeo lamp by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina, archetypal and highly recognizable. In the 90s, the entry into the company of Carlotta De Bevilacqua, companion of Gismondi, led Artemide towards the future and the new LED lighting technology.
Artemide is today a large and structured reality and produces all its lamps directly in its five factories, including the historic headquartes of Pregnana Milanese. In addition to chandeliers (including the popular Pirce pendant lamp), table lamps, wall lamps and floor lamps, the Artemide catalog also has a wide and flexible choice of architectural lighting, even for the outdoors.