Milanese artist Piero Fornasetti was a jack of many trades: painter, sculptor, interior decorator and engraver - and the rare master of all. These days it is his son Barnaba who faithfully maintains the legacy of the prolific designer, who would have turned 100 years old this year. British wallpaper crafters Cole and Son are marking the occasion by opening the door to Fornasetti's whimsical world once again with a new offering of prints.
Launched at this year's Maison et Objet fair, Fornasetti II includes quirky patterns incorporating saucer-eyed owls, clouds, flying machines, monkeys and classical architectural details - many of which appear for the first time in new colourways. A series of trompe-l'oeils are also amongst the ever-eccentric motifs resurrected from the designer's archives, which can be used both vertically and horizontally.
'Procuratie' (left) is based on the classical arches on the façades of St Marks Square in Venice; 'Pennini' features an assortment of old-fashioned pen nibs in burnished metallics
'Magia Domestica' creates the illusion of a world within a world, with its suit of armour, bookcases, open door and drawn curtains
Clownfish appeared in some of Fornasetti's earliest work and are revived here in 'Acquario' against a soft-wash charcoal background
Designed to be hung horizontally along the bottom of a wall, 'Balaustra' creates a trompe-l'oeil effect of a stone balustrade
'Promenade' features umbrellas, riding whips and walking sticks collected by Piero Fornasetti
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