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fortunately, cover for the sum of 90,000 lire( quite a Fantoni and United States’ art markets and collectors.
fortune in those days) the debt that he had already This relationship was further consolidated after the war
contracted. due also to the numerous trips Fantoni took to America
So, in 1936, the first factory, where “Fantoni” where he received, as we will see in more detail later
ceramics were produced, was established. The atelier on, important recognition - that today is still alive and
was set up in the rooms of the former theater of the fruitful.
Immaculate Church on Via Luigi Lanzi, at the old In addition to theses activities, Fantoni also
stables of the Villa Fabbricotti. It was still a small studio participated in Italy’s most important commercial
adjacent to the larger space of the stables (which, over exhibitions, competitions and art shows. With a true
the course of a few years, Fantoni was able to rent, and veritable entrepreneurial spirit, he was engaged at
expanding considerably his initial space), nevertheless, the same time with his production and sales, and so
the space was adequately equipped – a potter’s wheel even by the years immediately preceding the war, he
and an electric kiln for the creation of small and large had already obtained surprising results.
ceramic sculptures. Furthermore, in the months In the short period that Fantoni worked in
immediately following the establishment of the Villa Perugia, he was already thinking about how he could
Fabbricotti atelier, Fantoni realized the importance of organize his own studio – which after the war he
opening an exhibition space in addition to his transformed into a veritable factory - so that everything
production activity that would further introduce him would serve his ambitious plans. The first decision that
to the Florentine artistic community, and to an ever he came to terms with was that of his employees: they
larger number of people,in order to improve the selling were all young - his contemporaries - new to the
base for his objects. For this reason he chose to open a work of modeling ceramics.Young devotees of art who
“ceramic boutique” in a store front adjacent to the learned the trade together with Fantoni without bring
Loggia Rucellai on Via della Vigna Nuova. Located in with them the “bad habits” learned during
one of the most elegant streets, already at that time a apprenticeships in other studios. Because, from the very
center point in the city’s commercial traffic, the shop beginning, he had in mind that everything must follow
was an important vehicle through which Fantoni began his design, and, in his atelier, no other artistic
not only to make himself know to a diverse public, and personality should arise to interfere with it. Only
not only locally, but also to arrive at a commercial Fantoni designed the models and directed the
success which in a short time allowed him to repay the employees in their realization without exception. He
money lent to him to open his atelier and subsequently, was well aware of how much energetic and inflexible
to arrive at a relatively prosperous economic position, guidelines were an indispensable element for success,
an indispensable premise to the creation of a serene for maintaining high standards of quality, without
working environment. Fantoni entrusted the interior giving into wavering or unorthodox stylistic
design of his shop to his friend the young Florentine contaminations.
architect Pierluigi Spadolini who, without using At the dawn of the 1940’s, Fantoni’s artistic
invasive measures, that might ruin one of Florence’s experience is to be profoundly marked by the war. His
most beautiful palazzos, only had the walls of the room activities, already well underway, are to suffer profound
refaced ( hanging up a few wooded supports on which and forced changes. Having decided not to completely
he could attach shelves to exhibit the ceramics) and the stop working, he was obligated to submit to the state
beautiful, original, XV century terracotta and marble mandate of producing only “useful object”, under
floor carefully cleaned and polished. The space, not penalty of a forced closure of the workshop. So, thanks
very large but of evident good taste, was illuminated by to the production of marmalade jars and chamber pots,
a few amusing and unusual chandeliers designed by Fantoni continued his own work, remained open,
Spadolini himself. functioned as an atelier, and, as we may remember,
He began, in those years toward the end of the modeled some sculptures which we recognize today as
1930’s, the profitable relationship with commission masterpieces. Made in 1942 and today conserved in the
agents coming from the United States: Florence was a Brooklyn Museum of Art, the splendid Deposition, that
center of great interest for “buyers”, a central station for portrays, through the Mother’s desperate embrace of
replenishing department stores where high quality the Son lifeless body, the tormented anxiety of those
products could be bought at advantageous prices. The years, culminating, by means of this formal and
constant desire to discover something new in the dramatic synthesis, in an entity, a choral manifestation,
artistic field and the subsequent introduction of new in the face of the barbaric atrocities and the terror of
products into their national market places, brought premature death, which, through an analogically
Fantoni’s ceramics to the center of attention of interpreted image proclaims a state of being that was
important American businessmen.This contributed to intimately felt and profoundly participated in.
the installation of that privileged relationship between Nevertheless, Fantoni did not lose, even in those

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