Gino Sarfatti (1912 - 1984) was born in Venice, Italy, and studied aeronaval engineering at the University of Genoa.  In 1939, Sarfatti established Arteluce.  The firm soon became a national and international reference point for the modern architecture movement in lighting.  During his thirty-year career, Sarfatti designed and produced over 400 lighting fixtures and stayed at the forefront of innovation related to typology, materials, production technologies, light sources, technical lighting effects, and design.  He was a pioneer in the use of halogen bulbs, incorporating them into fixtures as early as 1971.  The designer and his company won numerous prizes and awards including the prestigious Compasso d′Oro both in 1954 and 1955, along with the Honorary Diploma of the Milan Triennale.  Arteluce served as an important forum for many of the leading Italian designers in the 1950s and 1960s, including Franco Albini, Gianfranco Frattini, Vittoriano Vigano, and Marco Zanuso.  Italian lighting manufacturer Flos acquired Arteluce in 1973 - Flos still produces several of Sarfatti's iconic designs.