Design for a Candlestick
Medium
metalwork
Classification
metalwork
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1911-28-352
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Joseph Anton Seethaler II, a German artist who lived from 1799 to 1868, created this "Design for a Candlestick" during the years 1827 to 1835. Classified as metalwork and held in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the piece captures the preparatory stage of crafting decorative objects intended for metal execution. Such designs reveal the careful planning behind everyday items that combined utility with ornament. The medium underscores the collaborative nature of 19th-century metalwork, where artists developed detailed concepts before skilled artisans realized them in silver, bronze, or othe...