Astier de Villatte

Astier de Villatte presents the first edition of the lamp designed by Balthus in the early 1960s to light the Villa Medici. Jean Clair, in the catalogue raisonné of Balthus, describes the genesis of the lamp: ‘In creating the furniture, Balthus adopted the same approach as for the technique of painting the walls. He chose to use elements found on site, adapting them to contemporary needs. For example, in order to create a suitable lighting scheme for the restored Villa Medici, after numerous trials he designed a unique lamp based on two old models found on site: an old solid iron torchiere and a monumental nineteenth-century candle-holder, characterised by its disproportionate height and the curved shape of its base. He salvaged old rusty iron watering pipes to make the main hollow structure, the end of which terminates in a piece of light-coloured wood that is partly hidden by the lampshade. This detail gives the impression of seeing a hidden candle, a subtle allusion to the original model. Since then, the elegant silhouette and subdued light of the Balthus lamp have been found in every room at the Villa Medici.Later, Balthus used it almost exclusively to light his other homes, the Château de Montecalvello and the Grand Chalet de Rossinière, and now, in close collaboration with Harumi Klossowska de Rola, Astier de Villatte is publishing this legendary lamp for the first time. Numbered and signed edition (monograms of Balthus and Astier de Villatte).