Design for a Three-Armed Candelabra, Plate 2 from an Untitled Series of Designs for Suspended Candelabra

Art Historical Context

This elegant etching by Carl Pier and Martin Engelbrecht presents a detailed design for a three-armed suspended candelabra, created around 1750–56 as part of a series intended for craftsmen and patrons. Rendered with the fine lines and delicate shading typical of the medium, the print showcases ornate, curving forms that evoke the playful asymmetry of Rococo ornament. Such designs served as practical models for metalworkers, allowing them to translate paper patterns into luxurious lighting fixtures for grand interiors. Produced in Augsburg, a leading center for printed ornament during the eighteenth century, these etchings reflect the era’s growing emphasis on specialized pattern books. Engelbrecht, a prolific publisher, often collaborated with artists like Pier to disseminate fashionable designs across Europe. The compact format—roughly eight by fourteen inches—made the sheets easy to circulate and copy, bridging the worlds of fine art and applied decoration. Today, this work offers a window into how printed media shaped taste and craftsmanship in the mid-1700s, preserving ephemeral ideas that once guided the creation of glittering chandeliers and wall sconces in aristocratic homes.

About the Artist

Carl Pier|Martin Engelbrecht (German|German) · 1684 |1700 –1756 |1790

German, Augsburg 1684–1756 Augsburg|German, active Augsburg, ca. 1750