One of Twenty-Three Sheets of Drawings of Glassware (Mirrors, Chandeliers, Goblets, etc.) 1850 - 1880

This is one of the twenty-three sheets of drawings of glassware by the Compagnia di Venezia e Murano, capturing the ornate designs of Venetian artistry. Dominating the composition is a chandelier, adorned with floral motifs. Flowers, ubiquitous across cultures, symbolize beauty, transience, and renewal. Yet, their arrangement here—suspended in glass—echoes a tension between nature and artifice. The chandelier’s form is a complex interplay of light and shadow, meant to evoke emotions. Consider how floral designs appear in Minoan frescoes, or Egyptian burial garlands; their meanings shift with each cultural context. In the Victorian era, the language of flowers became a subtle form of communication. Here, the Murano glassblower borrows from nature to create an object of luxury. These objects resonate as containers of light, reminding us of the primal human need to dispel darkness, both literal and metaphorical. The chandelier as a symbol, therefore, is not merely decorative but deeply embedded in our collective memory.