A pair of oak Augusto Romano armchairs with ottomans, c.1950, Italy, chairs: 81 x 64 x 80cm, ottomans: 40 x 55 x 55cm.

Italian architect and designer Augusto Romano graduated in 1944 from the Politecnico di Torino just as World War II was ending; like other architects of his generation, Romano was eager for new directions and while he emulated le Corbusiers concept of the house as a machine for living he considered human needs paramount and his own interpretation embraced Danish and Swedish design. He returned to the Politecnico in 1947 to teach in the department of Interior Architecture chaired by Franco Albini (lot 58). Romanos interest in minimalism and close attention to craftsmanship resulted in works that, today, compared to those of his most eminent peers such as Carlo Mollino, looked more contemporary and felt less dated. His furniture was widely published from Domus to internationally recognized magazines in Germany, Sweden and London as well as Interiors in New York.