Candlestick with shade (flambeau à écran)

Art Historical Context

This elegant *Candlestick with Shade (Flambeau à Écran)*, crafted in France during the first quarter of 19th century, the refined metalwork of the Napoleonic and early Restoration eras. Standing at 18 inches tall with a 5-inch base diameter, it features a combination of gilt bronze, brass, steel and tôle (painted tinplate). The gilt bronze provides a shimmering gold finish, a hallmark of high-end French decorative arts, the shade—likely the "écran"—offers practical protection from drafts and flickering light, making it ideal for opulent interiors like salons or bedrooms. Produced anonymously by skilled Parisian bronziers, such pieces reflect the era's neoclassical tastes, blending functional lighting with sculptural grace. Gilt bronze techniques, involving mercury gilding or fire-gilding over cast bronze, created durable, radiant surfaces that symbolized wealth and sophistication amid post-Revolutionary France's resurgence in luxury goods. Tôle added a lightweight, decorative element for the shade, often enameled with subtle patterns. A generous gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman in 1977, this candlestick now graces the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department. It invites visitors to imagine candlelit evenings in 19th-century French châteaux, highlighting the artistry behind everyday elegance.