Chandelier
ca. 1710–15
Medium
Gilded wood and gesso; gilded metal mounts
Dimensions
Overall: 46 × 46 in. (116.8 × 116.8 cm)
Classification
Woodwork-Furniture
Culture
British
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Wrightsman Fund, and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman Gift, by exchange, 1995
Accession Number
1995.141
Art Historical Context
This exquisite chandelier, crafted around 1710–15 by the British collaborators John Gumley and James, exemplifies the grandeur of early 18th-century English decorative arts. Gumley, a renowned cabinet-maker and chandelier specialist, partnered with Moore, a skilled carver gilder, to produce lighting for aristocratic homes during the late Queen Anne and early Georgian eras. Measuring a stately 46 × 46 inches, its gilded wood and gesso body, adorned with gilded metal mounts, a shimmering effect that mimicked costly silver or ormolu, symbolizing wealth and refinement. The medium highlights maste...
About the Artist
John Gumley|James Moore (British|British) · 1670 |1629 –1726 |1729
British, ca. 1670–1726|British, died 1729