Altar Lamp
Medium
lighting
Classification
lighting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-622
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Smithsonian American Art Museum where the *Altar Lamp* by Italian artisan Luigi Righetti1780–1819) casts a gentle glow on early 19th-century craftsmanship. Dated around 1825—shortly after Righetti's death lighting fixture likely reflects the continued output of his Verona-based workshop, a hub for finely wrought metalwork during Italy's neoclassical era. Acquired through museum purchase with gifts from various donors and the Eleanor G Hewitt Fund, it now resides in the Smithsonian's lighting collection. Altar lamps hold deep cultural and religious significance in Catholic tradi...