Gasolier
Thackara, Buck & Co.
c. 1880
Medium
Brass and glass
Dimensions
147.3 × 124.5 × 124.5 cm (58 × 49 1/16 × 49 1/16 in.)
Classification
furniture
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
241409
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This gasolier is a light fixture named for its original light source, gas, which had a flickering affect that would have been amplified by the hundreds of glass pendants and the twelve etched glass shades affixed to the intricate brass frame. Decorative metalwork flourished in the late 19th century with the rise of Aestheticism, a cultural movement that prized beauty in every aspect of life, including one’s furnishings. Here sprays of flattened flowers and stylized branches and leaves form the s...