Sconce 1868 - 1870

Curator: Look at the elegance of this gas sconce, made between 1868 and 1870 by Mitchell, Vance & Co. You can find it right here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My first thought is the light those glass globes would cast – such a delicate patterned light. It makes me think of high ceilings, rich colors, maybe a game of whist happening nearby... Curator: Absolutely! Mitchell, Vance & Co. were masters of metalwork and design, responding to the burgeoning market for gas lighting in well-to-do homes and public buildings. The interplay of materials like metal and glass shows how they used industrial production techniques combined with artistry to appeal to this growing consumer culture. Editor: Thinking about where these pieces were installed is interesting. It feels very… Victorian, opulent in that showy way, signaling status but also creating a specific ambience. Who commissioned pieces like this, and how would their placement affect social dynamics? Were there gendered associations tied to certain rooms, with pieces like this illuminating particular activities? Curator: That’s spot on. Lighting companies capitalized on social aspiration. Mass production allowed this aesthetic to reach wider markets than ever before, even as designs nodded to historical styles reinforcing associations with class and power. I would like to find records from those workers on the factory floor making each piece and consider what their lived experiences contributed to the overall aesthetic and economic landscape of the period. Editor: I also can't help but consider how the presence of electric lighting now reframes the whole object; the idea of flame held in these fragile glass globes evokes a much older mode of display, making this almost a symbol of transitioning tastes and new societal roles. Curator: Very true, what started as leading edge technology in lighting ended up a preserved memory in a museum, demonstrating how art objects reflect the evolving world of both creation and display. Editor: It's incredible to consider how something so seemingly straightforward carries so many societal narratives. Curator: Indeed. The Sconce stands here both as a beautiful piece of craft and a witness to its time.