Orangeries, long celebrated by poets and artists, are timeless spaces existing between reality and imagination. Filled with light, they symbolize an endless yearning for what lies beyond. Inspired by this very special space, artist Irene Cattaneo has embarked on a figurative and literary journey with Meritalia®.

As is often the case in Irene Cattaneo’s creative process, language itself plays a key role in shaping the nature and meaning of her work. Here, the term “chaise longue” creates a connection between “long", which refers to the elongated seat’s form, and the English verb “to long” – to yearn, to dream. This idea of longing extends beyond language and into a broader emotional and philosophical realm, reaching the untranslatable concept of Sensucht. 

The artist’s work is infused with literary references and linguistic nuance, weaving a narrative that reflects this perpetual yearning. The name Nymphaea, given to the captivating chaise longue by Irene Cattaneo and Meritalia®, connects to the Odyssey. When Ulysses, a romantic ante litteram, is welcomed by Lotus-Eaters, he discovers the power of the lotus flower: those who taste it, drift into a blissful oblivion, their sense of reality dissolving, along with their troubles and sense of time. Yet, even this seductive pause does not sway Ulysses from his journey home to Ithaca – becoming another form of knowledge along his path.

In its design, Nymphaea continues the artist’s exploration of materials with contrasting textures, a theme pursued with the support of Meritalia®’s expert craftsmanship. The use of a marble–like fabric, combined with soft pastel tones and floral hues, recalls the orangery – an ethereal, dreamlike realm much like the one Ulysses encounters. Nymphaea, shaped by its delicate, petal-like curves, becomes a flower itself.

Set between the exoticism of its orangery surroundings and the dreamlike escape evoked by its name, Nymphaea, with its soft and voluptuous form, offers an experience where losing oneself becomes a path to self-discovery.