Cole and Son, founded in 1873, has a unique reputation for wallpaper manufacture and holds an archive of designs by the foremost artists and designers of the last 150 years. The company's traditions of hand block printing and screen-printing now embrace the latest innovations in technology and inks.
Coles are delighted to present The Fornasetti Collection consisting of 14 designs selected by Coles and Barnaba Fornasetti from fine drawings in the archive of his father, Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988).
The visionary Italian artist is known for his surreal imagination and craftsmanship. He believed strongly in 'Disegno', the practice of sketching and redrawing, following the classical Italian artistic tradition to which he added his unique style with a strong sense of irony and humour. He worked independently of the avant-garde and his production of exquisitely made objects, ceramic, textiles and furniture, some of which are in the V&A Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is one of the largest of the 20th century.
