Maestro Alfredo Barbini: Nature, Myth, and Magic, The David Huchthausen Collection

July 2, 2022 – April 9, 2023

Exhibition Overview

This exhibition includes more than 70 pieces by Alfredo Barbini (Italian, 1912–2007), drawn from the collection of David Huchthausen, that are part of a promised gift to Museum of Glass. Barbini was a skilled technician with a playful repertoire. He was imaginative and elegant with a humorous aesthetic while showcasing a mid-century modern minimalism. Barbini’s work is informed by his love of nature, especially aquatic creatures, birds, and animals. He revels in their charm, beauty, and incomparable design. His observations of the human form, classical literature and its examination of our foibles and tragedies are a source of inspiration. The exhibition seeks to reintroduce a maestro who has had little press over the last few decades. This is the first exhibition in which a collection of pieces have been assembled with the purpose of reexamining his legacy.

Alfredo Barbini (Italian, 1912—2007). Sea Turtle Aquarium Block, circa 1960. Hot-sculpted and assembled glass, cut and polished; illuminated base; 16 x 15 x 3 1/2 in. Collection of David Huchthausen. Photo by Lloyd Shugart Studio 413.

Featured Images

 

Image Credits

  1. Alfredo Barbini (Italian, 1912—2007). Sea Turtle Aquarium Block, circa 1960. Hot-sculpted and assembled glass, cut and polished; illuminated base; 16 x 15 x 3 1/2 in. Collection of David Huchthausen. Photo by Lloyd Shugart Studio 413.

  2. Alfredo Barbini (Italian, 1912—2007). Birds on Tree Branches, circa 1965. Glass; 20 1/4 × 9 1/2 × 7 1/2 in. Courtesy of David Huchthausen. Photo by Lloyd Shugart Studio 413.

  3. Alfredo Barbini (Italian, 1912—2007). Golden Female Nude with Fruit Basket, 1952. Glass with applied details and gold leaf; 13 3/4 x 4 1/4 in. Courtesy of David Huchthausen. Photo by Lloyd Shugart Studio 413.

  4. Alfredo Barbini (Italian, 1912—2007). Red Sommerso Toucan, 1980s. Glass; 12 x 10 x 5 in. Courtesy of David Huchthausen. Photo by Lloyd Shugart Studio 413.

  5. Alfredo Barbini (Italian, 1912—2007). Stacked Angelfish Sculpture, circa 1962. Glass; 18 x 6 3/4 in. Courtesy of David Huchthausen. Photo by Lloyd Shugart Studio 413.

  6. Alfredo Barbini (Italian, 1912—2007). “Vibration” Sculpture, 1960. Multi-layered opalescent glass in shades of yellow and blue with two large bubble inclusions; 13 3/16 in. Courtesy of David Huchthausen. Photo by Lloyd Shugart Studio 413. 

Exhibition Credit

Organized by Museum of Glass. Curated by Susan Warner.