Candlestick with Two Branches
Unknown Artist
ca. 1745–60 or 19th century
Medium
Gilt bronze.
Dimensions
Height: 15 13/16 in. (40.2 cm) Width: 11 3/8 in. (28.9 cm) Diam. of base: 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Bronze
Culture
French, Paris
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1476
Art Historical Context
This elegant *Candlestick with Two Branches crafted in gilt bronze by an unknown Parisian artisan around 1745–60 or possibly in the 19th, exemplifies the refined luxury of French decorative arts. Standing at nearly 16 inches tall with a sturdy 6¾-inch base, its two branching arms were designed to hold candles, casting a warm glow in opulent interiors of the Ancien Régime or later revivals. The uncertain dating reflects ongoing scholarly debate, potentially placing it in the exuberant Rococo era of Louis XV or a neoclassical echo. Gilt bronze, a hallmark of Paris's premier bronziers, involved ...