Wall Sconce (One of a Pair)
William Arthur Smith Benson
1880/1900
Medium
Copper and brass
Dimensions
27.9 × 29.2 × 22.9 cm (11 × 11 1/2 × 9 in.)
Classification
candleholder - sconce
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
136982
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
William Arthur Smith Benson’s novel designs in brass, copper, and iron forged a link between late-19th-century Arts and Crafts aesthetics and industrial production. Though he was a friend and business associate of William Morris—the leader of a movement advocating handcrafted rather than machine-made goods—Benson saw the possibilities of mass production and founded his own factory in 1880, equipped with the latest machines to streamline the manufacturing process. He created innovative designs fo...