GIUSEPPE PAGANO. Living room set, Italy, 1940s.

GIUSEPPE PAGANO POGATSCHNIG (Parenzo, 1896 – Mauthausen, 1945).
Five-piece living room set, Italy, 1940s.
Curved wood and dark green faux leather upholstery.
Consists of a two-seater sofa, two armchairs, a footrest, and a side table.
In good overall condition, with slight signs of wear.
Sofa measurements: 85 x 121 x 67.5 cm.
Armchair measurements: approx. 85 x 60.5 x 68 cm.
Table measurements: approx. 56.4 cm (height) x 70.6 cm (diameter).
Footrest measurements: approx. 41.9 x 40.9 x 43.9 cm.

A living room set designed by Giuseppe Pagano Pogatschnig in the 1940s, consisting of five pieces that share the same design language. The bentwood structures create continuous, lightweight profiles, particularly visible in the armrests and supports, while the dark green upholstery introduces a striking chromatic hallmark. The side table echoes the interplay of curves found in the chairs through its open structure and two overlapping circular surfaces.

The set’s formal simplicity reflects the principles of Italian Rationalism, eliminating superfluous elements to give prominence to structure, function, and materials. The use of bentwood, however, lends a more organic quality to the geometric rigor, resulting in furniture that was highly modern for its time. The preservation of the complete set—sofa, pair of armchairs, footrest, and table—further enhances its appeal as a cohesive interior design unit.

Giuseppe Pagano was one of the key figures in Italian rationalist architecture of the interwar period. An architect, designer, photographer, theorist, and decisive figure in the architectural culture of his time, he edited the influential magazine *Casabella* from 1930 to 1943, through which he championed a modern architecture linked to function, industrial production, and the needs of society. He also actively participated in the Milan Triennials and developed projects in architecture, interiors, exhibitions, and furniture, viewing design as an inseparable part of a modern conception of living.
His career was tragically cut short during World War II: after joining the Italian Resistance, he was arrested and deported to the Mauthausen concentration camp, where he died in April 1945. His work and writings exerted a decisive influence on the development of modern Italian architecture.