trying to push those who observe his objects, as well as those who use them, to take a journey of the mind. In this sense he was inspired by the words of Curzio Malaparte, who he knew through Giò Ponti, and whom he quoted saying: "The important thing is to travel, to move, to meet people, to see things, but above all to do so with no predetermined plan... the important thing is not knowing how to create, invent, write, but knowing how to deduce, that is, knowing how to start from one thing, anything, and derive from it a multitude of others... Basically, nothing is invented, it is only deduced." The medium of design represented a kind of notepad for him, useful for not forgetting a suggestion. Suggestions that usually arose either from the casual juxtaposition of two contradictory orders of reality, or from reflections on surrealism and Giorgio de Chirico's metaphysical painting. Despite the success of the furniture and ceramics he created from the fifties, it was in drawing that Fornasetti believed he could make an innovative impact. The artist's distinctive style was very much of its time, and followed the natural movement of the hand, fixing the idea with simplicity, with immediacy. This conception can be linked to the influence of Picasso's Ingres period. For Fornasetti the legacy of the great Italian tradition lay precisely in drawing, in the daily practice of sketching and copying. Rigour and simplicity of style were the fundamental antidote against the narcissism of the end of the 19th century that he detested. The design of objects, therefore, represents only one stage of his artistic journey. Works (partial) As already mentioned, Fornasetti's work was particularly prolific, consisting of tens of thousands of items. Below we offer just a short list. Curved glass cabinet, designed by Gio Ponti and produced by Fontana Arte, 1939–40 All’insegna delle dodici mani, commissioned by Gio Ponti, 1940 Almanac for 1941, commissioned by Gio Ponti, 1941 Il lunario del Sole, commissioned by Gio Ponti, 1942 Frescoes of Palazzo del Bo, Padua, 1942 Decorative motifs commissioned by Gio Ponti, VIII Triennale di Milano, Milan, 1947 Interior of the Sanremo casino, 1950 Farfalle chair and desk, decorated to a design by Gio Ponti, 1950, Vitra Design Museum Interior of the "Dulciora" pastry shop in Milan, 1950 Sole lacquered chair , 1950. The chair, with its very geometric and stylised shape, is