Candlestick (pair with .1481)

Art Historical Context

This elegant pair of candlesticks, one featured here (paired with .1481), fine European metalwork from the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.ed from a reddish-toned copper alloy, each stands 50 cm tall—excluding the pricket, the slender spike designed to secure a candle. The warm, lustrous material not only evokes durability and opulence but also highlights the metalworker's skill in achieving a rich patina through alloying techniques common in historical European workshops. Dated to the 19th century but faithfully rendered in the robust 17th-century Flemish or German style, these pieces reflect a revival of Baroque-era aesthetics. During the 1600s, Flanders and German regions were renowned for ornate metalwork that adorned churches, homes, and civic spaces, symbolizing prosperity and piety. The unknown artist's mastery of historicizing forms—likely including baluster stems, knopped bases, and intricate moldings—demonstrates how 19th-century artisans revived these traditions amid Romantic interest in the past, blending functionality with artistic grandeur. Acquired for the Robert Lehman Collection in 1975, these candlesticks offer a window into everyday luxury, illuminating the cultural continuity of European craftsmanship across centuries. Visitors can appreciate such objects bridged domestic life and high art, their reddish glow a testament to enduring technical ingenuity.