Cast iron artefacts between art and industry

Abstract

The production of cast iron artifacts for lighting and street furniture is a phenomenon that has manifested itself at a European level since the mid-19^th century: first in England and Scotland, then in France and Italy, there are numerous foundries that design, create and market them.

The cast iron works intended for city furnishing are industrial art products, where the specific function for which they are created never overwhelms the constant search for beauty and originality, and whose artistic value originates both from their harmonious composition and from the careful choice of details. That’s also evident from period catalogues, which stand out for a huge number of models and variants. The search for "beauty in the useful" finds a reference in the ornamental motifs of the ancient world, spread since the second half of the 18^th century by artists such as Piranesi, Fontaine, Basoli, who unwittingly exerted a significant and lasting influence on the applied arts and design.