Era-defining lighting company founded in Milan in 1939 by Gino Sarfatti, Arteluce developed in three clear phases.

1940s–early 1950s: an atelier model rooted in artisanal craft, with small-batch production and hands-on experimentation. Most models were conceived by Sarfatti himself, who explored adjustable mechanics, new light sources and numbered typologies that defined the house style.

1950s–early 1960s: a shift toward larger industrial scale. Arteluce expanded retail presence and undertook office and public commissions; architects such as Vittoriano Viganò and Franco Albini collaborated on showrooms and projects, while the catalogue remained predominantly Sarfatti’s—rational, modular and technologically forward.

Late 1960s–1970s: full industrial maturity. The company supplied hospitality, transport and civic programs—boats, hotels, universities—adopting new materials and welcoming additional designers alongside Sarfatti. In 1973 Sarfatti sold Arteluce to Flos; over the following years the brand and archive were gradually integrated into Flos, concluding a pioneering chapter in Italian lighting history.