Angelo Lelii’s energetic and imaginative floor lamps, sconces and chandeliers often reflected his singular personality — whimsical but practical. He is responsible for some of the most delightfully eye-pleasing but functional works in the history of Italian mid-century modern lighting design.
Lelii was born Paolo Angelo Lelii in the seaport town of Ancona and moved to Milan when he was quite young. Not much is known about his early life — online resources frequently have his last name misspelled “Lelli” — except that he studied at the Superior Institute of Industrial Art in nearby Monza.
While there was no shortage of pioneering work being done in the field of mid-century modern lighting design, Lelii was a visionary whose dream was to create technologically advanced lighting that embodied the simple lines of modern design but would be defined by his own imaginative twists. In 1943, Lelii opened his first workshop in a tiny basement in Monza, under the name Arredoluce. A few years later, he designed the single-light, bent-arm Tris floor lamp. Later that year, he exhibited his Triennale floor lamp at the Milan Triennale VIII and garnered wide acclaim. This iconic, slender lamp features three adjustable arms with enameled aluminum shades.
Lelii’s sculptural fixtures in brass and cast iron appeared in the acclaimed design journal Domus, and he embarked on high-profile collaborations with Italian modernist legends such as Gio Ponti — a giant of architecture and design as well as a founder of Domus — Memphis Group member Ettore Sottsass Jr. and the brothers Castiglioni (formally known as Achille, Pier Giacomo and Livio).
Massive success followed for Arredoluce from the late 1950s and into the 1960s. For Lelii, there was his seminal Stella ceiling lamp, featuring opaque, acid-etched glass globe shades; his minimalist Cobra table lamp, which was one of the world’s first low voltage light fixtures; and his aptly named Eye floor lamp. Lelii continued to oversee design and production at his revolutionary lighting firm until his death in 1979.
Find vintage Angelo Lelii lighting on 1stDibs.
21st Century Triennale pendant lamp, brass & brown, Angelo Lelii, 2019, Italy
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Icon of Arredoluce, symbol of an era and source of inspiration for many objects to follow over time, Triennale is perhaps the best known project by Angelo Lellii. Presented at the VI...
Metal, Brass, Chrome
21st Century Triennale pendant lamp, brass & black, Angelo Lelii, 2019, Italy
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Icon of Arredoluce, symbol of an era and source of inspiration for many objects to follow over time, Triennale is perhaps the best known project by Angelo Lellii. Presented at the VI...
Metal, Brass, Chrome
21st Century Triennale Floor Lamp, brass & black, Angelo Lelii, 2019, Italy
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Icon of Arredoluce, symbol of an era and source of inspiration for many objects to follow over time, Triennale is perhaps the best known project by Angelo Lellii. Presented at the VI...
Metal, Brass, Chrome
Angelo Lelii Table Lamp Arredoluce Italy 1952
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Really stunning table lamp by Angelo Lelii and manufactured by Arredoluce in 1952. The lamp itself is made of Aluminum, brass and has a marble foot. The shade can be adjusted in orde...
Angelo Lelli Floor Lamp Model 14002 Arredoluce, 1966
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Very nice Minimalist floor lamp model 14002 designed by Angelo Lelli and manufactured by Arredoluce, Italy, 1966. The lamp has a metal base with incorporated transformer and on/off s...
Metal
Cobra table lamp in Nickeled brass by Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, Italy 1962
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Rotterdam, ZH
Cobra table lamp mod. 12919 in nickeled brass by Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, Italy 1962. Intriguing design of an elegant tulip shaped tubular stem with a spacious impressed oval 'co...
Nickel
Floor Lamp by Angelo Lelli
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Stamford, CT
Floor lamp by Angelo Lelli for Arteluce, Arredoluce Italy.
Chrome
Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, Adjustable Wall Light with Red Mesh Shade, 1950s
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, Adjustable Wall Light with red lacquered steel mesh shade on a fully articulated tubular brass support with central hinge which allows the shade to be mo...
Brass, Steel
$2,250Sale Price|50% Off
Flexa Table Lamp by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce, Italy
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Flexa table lamp designed by Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, circa 1975. The bulb is encased in an enameled metal shade and flanked by two parallel chrome columns. This lamp feature...
Chrome, Steel
Pair of Polished Nickel Wall Lights by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A pair of Mid-Century Modern Italian wall lamps / sconces designed by Angelo Lelli, with sandblasted glass globe shades on a nickel-plated brass armature. Made by Arredoluce in Italy...
Brass, Nickel
Mid-Century Modern Pair of Table Lamps Model 12915 by Angelo Lelii
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Pair of Table Lamps Model 12915 by Angelo Lelii, Opaline and Brass, Italy, 1960's
Brass
Modernist Wall Light by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A modernist wall light or sconce designed by Angelo Lelli featuring an adjustable chromed magnetic ball and socket light inset into a brushed steel mounting plate. Made by Arredoluc...
Steel
21st Century Triennale pendant lamp, brass & green, Angelo Lelii, 2019, Italy
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Icon of Arredoluce, symbol of an era and source of inspiration for many objects to follow over time, Triennale is perhaps the best known project by Angelo Lellii. Presented at the VI...
Metal, Brass, Chrome
21st Century Triennale pendant lamp, brass&brown-green-white, Lelii, 2019, Italy
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Icon of Arredoluce, symbol of an era and source of inspiration for many objects to follow over time, Triennale is perhaps the best known project by Angelo Lellii. Presented at the VI...
Metal, Brass, Chrome
21st Century Triennale pendant lamp, brass&light blue, Angelo Lelii, 2019, Italy
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Icon of Arredoluce, symbol of an era and source of inspiration for many objects to follow over time, Triennale is perhaps the best known project by Angelo Lellii. Presented at the VI...
Metal, Brass, Chrome
21st Century Triennale pendant lamp, chrome&red-yellow-blu, Lelii, 2019, Italy
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Icon of Arredoluce, symbol of an era and source of inspiration for many objects to follow over time, Triennale is perhaps the best known project by Angelo Lellii. Presented at the VI...
Metal, Brass, Chrome
21st Century Triennale pendant lamp, chrome & white, Angelo Lelii, 2019, Italy
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Icon of Arredoluce, symbol of an era and source of inspiration for many objects to follow over time, Triennale is perhaps the best known project by Angelo Lellii. Presented at the VI...
Metal, Brass, Chrome
21st Century Triennale pendant lamp, chrome & black, Angelo Lelii, 2019, Italy
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Icon of Arredoluce, symbol of an era and source of inspiration for many objects to follow over time, Triennale is perhaps the best known project by Angelo Lellii. Presented at the VI...
Metal, Brass, Chrome
21st Century Triennale Floor Lamp, chrome & brown, Angelo Lelii, 2019, Italy
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Icon of Arredoluce, symbol of an era and source of inspiration for many objects to follow over time, Triennale is perhaps the best known project by Angelo Lellii. Presented at the VI...
Metal, Brass, Chrome
21st Century Triennale Floor Lamp, chrome&light blue, Angelo Lelii, Italy, CE
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Icon of Arredoluce, symbol of an era and source of inspiration for many objects to follow over time, Triennale is perhaps the best known project by Angelo Lellii. Presented at the VI...
Metal, Brass, Chrome
Arredoluce Table Lamp With Label
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Late 60's or early 70's an Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce table lamp ,rectangular marble base supports pair of upright chrome tubes which progress into flexible black pipe , lamp head ...