Ontwerp voor een vijfarmige kandelaber gedecoreerd met een draak by Gabriel Huquier

1738 - 1749

Ontwerp voor een vijfarmige kandelaber gedecoreerd met een draak

Gabriel Huquier's Profile Picture

Gabriel Huquier

1695 - 1772

Location

Rijksmuseum

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Curatorial notes

Gabriel Huquier created this drawing of a five-armed candelabra with pen and gray ink. Notice how a dragon motif coils around the candelabra, a symbol deeply rooted in cultural memory. The dragon, often associated with chaos and primordial power, has slithered through human imagination across millennia. Here, it entwines with foliage, reminiscent of the classical serpent, a symbol of both healing and destruction. Think of the serpent in the Garden of Eden or Asclepius's staff, where the serpent represents knowledge and regeneration. Consider the dragon’s evolution: from an embodiment of fear and disorder to a symbol of imperial authority, wisdom and strength. How our collective subconscious associates the dragon with both terror and reverence is central. This candelabra, with its entwined dragon, illuminates the complex interplay between darkness and light, chaos and order, engaging our deepest emotional and psychological reflexes. The dragon resurfaces, a testament to its enduring power to evoke primal emotions.