Pair of candlesticks
In the era before gas lighting and electricity, candles played a principal role in illuminating the interior of a house. The number of candles lit was an indication of the wealth and status of the owner: beeswax candles burned clean and smelt pleasant and were quite expensive compared to those made of tallow.
In late seventeenth-century France, a change in dining habits had a significant effect on the production of silver candlesticks. Entertainment was increasingly orientated towards the evening; the use of domestic space changed and as a result, elegant lighting became an important part of the decoration of interiors.
Made in Rennes in 1751–52, this pair of candlesticks has elaborate decoration deriving from widely available design and pattern books which proliferated during the late seventeenth century and well into the eighteenth century. Despite their mid-eighteenth-century date, the prevailing Rococo taste fashionable in Paris at the time is all but ignored here.
In late seventeenth-century France, a change in dining habits had a significant effect on the production of silver candlesticks. Entertainment was increasingly orientated towards the evening; the use of domestic space changed and as a result, elegant lighting became an important part of the decoration of interiors.
Made in Rennes in 1751–52, this pair of candlesticks has elaborate decoration deriving from widely available design and pattern books which proliferated during the late seventeenth century and well into the eighteenth century. Despite their mid-eighteenth-century date, the prevailing Rococo taste fashionable in Paris at the time is all but ignored here.
Artwork Details
- Title: Pair of candlesticks
- Maker: Possibly Claude Roysard (died by 1753)
- Date: 1751–52
- Culture: French, Rennes
- Medium: Silver
- Dimensions: Height (each): 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm)
- Classification: Metalwork-Silver
- Credit Line: Bequest of Theodore Rousseau, 1974
- Object Number: 1974.289.10, .11
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.