Atomic Chandelier by Oscar Torlasco, Italy - 1950s

Italian chandelier by Oscar Torlasco dating to the 1950s, built as an open composition of intersecting brass rods and yellow lacquered metal elements. Twelve light points are distributed irregularly throughout the structure, each held within a rounded yellow fitting surrounded by a slender circular ring. Set at different heights and angles, the lights create a deliberately unbalanced yet carefully composed silhouette. A flower-like yellow element marks the centre, while the long vertical stem provides a restrained counterpoint to the complexity below.

Born in Rome in 1934, Oscar Torlasco became a distinctive figure in post-war Italian lighting design, working throughout the 1950s and 1960s for several manufacturers including Lumi, Esperia and Stilkronen. His work ranged from restrained architectural lighting to more expressive compositions influenced by the emerging Space Age, often bringing industrial metals together with brass, marble, crystal and optical glass. In 1959, Torlasco received the Compasso d’Oro for his Genova 4053 street light. This chandelier belongs to the more experimental side of his work: its spheres, orbital rings and projecting lines transform the individual light sources into an almost planetary composition. The manufacturer of this particular example has not been established and is therefore deliberately not attributed.