Murano Glass and the Venice Biennale

How Murano glass finally achieved staying power as part of the world's largest art exhibition

This second volume on the history of Murano glass at the Venice Biennale begins in 1932. Prior to that date, glass and other decorative arts were a fixture of the central pavilion from 1912 to 1930. Once it received its own dedicated space in the Giardini, with the construction of the Venezia Pavilion, Murano glass exploded in popularity, as the material became both an accepted part of the exhibition and a point of pride for local Venetian craftsmen. Author Marino Barovier, himself a member of a storied family of Murano glassmakers, takes readers through this pivotal prewar decade, from 1932 to 1942, and illustrates with breathtaking examples how painters, sculptors and other artists came to both appreciate and collaborate with glassmaking. With over 500 images of vintage Murano glass pieces, this book is a must-have for any collector or admirer of this storied decorative art.