Three-branch wall light (one of a pair) (bras de lumière)

ca. 1785

Not on view

In eighteenth-century France, gilt bronze was extensively used for different types of lighting, ranging from freestanding candlesticks and candelabra to chandeliers and lanterns. Sconces or wall lights were usually placed on either side of a mirror so that the flames of their candles were reflected and multiplied in the glass. The torch, bow ribbon, and laurel leaf motifs are typical of the Neoclassical period.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Three-branch wall light (one of a pair) (bras de lumière)
Date: ca. 1785
Culture: French, Paris
Medium: Gilt bronze
Dimensions: confirmed: 35 × 17 × 9 1/2 in. (88.9 × 43.2 × 24.1 cm)
Classification: Metalwork-Gilt Bronze
Credit Line: Bequest of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2019
Object Number: 2019.283.77
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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