1738 - 1749
Ontwerp voor een vijfarmige kandelaber gedecoreerd met een draak
Gabriel Huquier
1695 - 1772Location
RijksmuseumListen to curator's interpretation
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.