Christmas cards by legendary art directors on view in Milan

Christmas cards from the 1940s to the 1970s by iconic art directors are the subject of 'The Graphic Design of Christmas Greetings' at Milan's Settantaventidue gallery (until 6 January 2024)

Christmas cards
A Christmas card by Hans Neuburg, 1963
(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

Milan's Settantaventidue gallery has gathered an impressive collection of Christmas cards, created between the 1940s and 1970s by some of the most celebrated art directors and graphic designers of the past century (on view until 6 January 2024). The lineup sounds like a who's who of design, from Bob Noorda to Ettore Sottsass, Bruno Munari, A G Fronzoni and Vittorio Gregotti among many more.

Christmas cards by iconic designers

Christmas Cards by iconic graphic designers

Studio Stile, 1959

(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

Over 100 greeting cards on view have been selected by  Studio Bruno Tonini (a publishing house specialising in fine art publications), with the help of art director Luca Pitoni. 

These are not your run of the mill Christmas cards, they range from the colourful and humorous to the esoteric, hand-drawn or featuring type and photography, each of them an incredible glimpse into its creator's approach to design and holiday greetings. 

Christmas Cards by iconic graphic designers

Bruno Munari, 1957

(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

Some cards are self-celebrating, like Gio Ponti's rendition of his Pirelli skyscraper, which was under construction in 1958 and reproduced in black and white under construction on a multi-folded card. Some played with traditional Christmas motifs, from Albe Steiner's mistletoe to Remo Muratore's Christmas bauble and Vittorio Gregotti's pile of wrapped presents. But there is also A G Fronzoni's minimalist Santa, Studio Boggeri's dotted Christmas tree and several playful objects and compositions, from Studio Stile's 'giochino' (little toy) to once again Boggeri's compositions of transparent coloured paper to create different festive effects. 

Christmas Cards by iconic graphic designers

A G Fronzoni, 1960

(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

These designers 'all engaged in what used to be a mandatory exercise of style: confronting the stereotypes of seasonal greetings,' reads a note accompanying the exhibition. 'The result is a precious collection of delicate visual surprises in which each designer shows his or her style with little or no compromise: Instagram before Instagram even existed, in a hardware version.'

The Graphic Design of Christmas Greetings is on view until 6 January 2024

Settantaventidue
Via Lodovico il Moro 1
Milan

settantaventidue.net

Christmas Cards by iconic graphic designers

Gio Ponti, 1958

(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

Christmas Cards by iconic graphic designers

Studio Boggeri, 1959

(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

Christmas Cards by iconic graphic designers

Vittorio Gregotti, 1959

(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

Christmas Cards by iconic graphic designers

Albe Steiner, 1940

(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

Christmas Cards by iconic graphic designers

Remo Muratore, 1956

(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

Christmas Cards by iconic graphic designers

Max Huber, 1960

(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

Christmas Cards by iconic graphic designers

Waibi Heinz, 1961

(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

Christmas Cards by iconic graphic designers

Aldo Calabresi, 1965

(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

Christmas Cards by iconic graphic designers

Franco Albini and Franca Helg, 195w0

(Image credit: Valentino Tonini)

Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.