Design for a Silver Chandelier with Two Variants
The design is one of two recorded designs for silver chandeliers, supplied to Robert Walpole by George Wickes for Houghton Hall (Norfolk) in 1743. Whether Wickes himself designed the pieces is unclear. It appears that the designs were never executed in silver, as they are not recorded in the inventories made after Walpole’s death in 1745. This drawing focusses on the main body of the chandelier and shows two variants for the decoration of the arms, which possibly explains the two loose sheets it is made on. On the left side, a dragon-like mask forms the mount for the arms, while on the right side the arm is supported by the characteristic head of a Saracen, which confirms the connection with the Walpole family, and Robert Walpole in particular.
Artwork Details
- Title: Design for a Silver Chandelier with Two Variants
- Artist: George Wickes (British, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk 1698–1761 Thurston, Suffolk)
- Date: ca. 1742–45
- Medium: Red and black chalk
- Dimensions: 21 3/4 × 30 5/8 in. (55.3 × 77.8 cm)
- Classifications: Drawings, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: Purchase, Mrs. Russell B. Aitken Gift, 2013
- Object Number: 2013.993
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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George Wickes
1725–26
George Wickes
1743–44
George Wickes
1733–34
George Wickes
1744/45
George Wickes
1741–42
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