In the aftermath of the First World War, Murano underwent a decisive transformation. A new generation of glassmakers, industrialists, and designers broke away from the historicist aesthetics of the 19th century and invented a modern language of glass. Around the Cappellin Venini & Co glassworks, and later the separate workshops of Giacomo Cappellin and Paolo Venini, major collaborations developed with Vittorio Zecchin, Carlo Scarpa, Napoleone Martinuzzi, and Tomaso Buzzi. Between 1920 and 1930, these foundational experiments laid the groundwork for modern glass in Murano.

This revival is driven by the Cappellin Venini & Co glassworks, founded in 1921 by Giacomo Cappellin (1887-1968) and Paolo Venini (1895-1959). The artistic direction is entrusted to Vittorio Zecchin (1878-1947), who draws inspiration from the golden age of Venetian glass, particularly the 16th-century paintings depicting sober, transparent, and colorless glasses. He offers a faithful yet expanded reinterpretation: the shapes gain in size and are adorned with new colors, delicate or vibrant. The success is immediate, and this style spreads throughout Murano.

In 1925, Cappellin and Venini parted ways. Cappellin founded Maestria Vetrai Muranesi Cappellin & Co and retained Zecchin and his workers. In 1926, Zecchin left the company and Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978) took over as artistic director. He first continued research on transparent and filigree glass, then developed a personal style of opaque glasses in red, black, and white shades (lattimo), inspired by Chinese porcelains.

For his part, Venini created Vetri Soffiati Muranesi Venini & Co with Napoleone Martinuzzi (1892-1977) as artistic director. After transparent glasses following Zecchin, Martinuzzi introduced a novel style as early as 1927: opaque, shiny, and bubbled glasses (pulegoso), as well as hot-modeled sculptures representing animals, fruits, or plants. These creations had a lasting influence on Murano. In 1932, he left Venini and, together with Francesco Zecchin, founded the glassworks Zecchin e Martinuzzi Vetri Artistici e Mosaici, where he continued his research on red and black opaque glass.

In the same year, Venini entrusted the artistic direction to Tomaso Buzzi (1900-1981), who designed objects with milky effects, in 1932 and 1933, obtained by layering thin sheets of glass and including gold leaf.

After Cappellin's bankruptcy in 1932, Carlo Scarpa began a lasting collaboration with Venini. From 1934, he developed mosaic (murrina) and thread-decorated (a fili) models, reinterpreting traditional techniques. He also created engraved (inciso) and hammered (battuto) glasses, which deeply marked the history of Murano glass.