Lounge Chair – “Mobili Nella Valle”
Manufactured by Poltronova
Italy, 1960s
Pine

Measurements
77 x 69 x 80h cm
30,3 x 27,2 x 31,5h in

Provenance
Private collection, Belgium

Details
Manufacturer's label

About
The “Mobili Nella Valle” lounge chair, designed by Italian sculptor and designer Mario Ceroli for Poltronova in the 1960s, exemplifies his fusion of furniture and sculpture. Crafted in Russian pine, the chair’s robust, angular form reflects Ceroli’s signature use of raw wood and architectural silhouette. Originally conceived as part of a larger conceptual interior environment, the piece embodies a sculptural sensibility rooted in Arte Povera and Brutalism.
Ceroli’s collaboration with Poltronova, one of Italy’s most innovative design manufacturers, marked a key moment in the blending of art and design in postwar Italy. The lounge chair—designated model PC.1—is part of his celebrated “Mobili Nella Valle” series, which translates to “Furniture in the Valley,” evoking a landscape of objects rather than conventional decor. The series was both a critique of modernist minimalism and a poetic reimagining of domestic space.

Biography
Mario Ceroli (b. Castel Frentano 1938) is an artist, sculpture and designer from Italian post-war period. He studied at the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Rome, where he met Leoncillo, Fazzini and Colla. At the beginning of his career, Ceroli specialised in ceramics and, in 1958, he exhibited his works at the Premium Spoleto. At that time, he also held his first solo exhibition at the Galleria San Sebastinello in Rome. The following year, he began experimenting with other materials, such raw wood, and Russian pinewood. Thus, he succeeded in making silhouetted and functional forms, which integrated well with the environment. Ceroli often pays homage to historical works of art and his works are distinctive for being bold and sculptural, with dramatic forms and strong lines. His most outstanding work is the serie "Mobili nella Valle", which was inspired by De Chirico's painting of 1927. His work has been displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson, Mississippi. Currently, one of his sculptures is on view at the Luigi Einaudi campus of the University of Turin and another at the Vatican Museums.