Candelabrum 1700 - 1800

This delicately rendered drawing of a candelabrum exists as a testament to the artistry of the everyday from an anonymous hand. It is part of the vast collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a design study, this work invites us to consider the cultural status of decorative objects in the eighteenth century. Ornamentation, like that shown in the drawing, acted as a signifier of class and taste. The candelabrum itself, with its classical urn and leafy garlands, evokes a sense of refinement. Yet, the drawing's two-dimensionality flattens the object and offers a glimpse into the labor involved in the making of luxury items. Consider the emotional investment someone might have in creating a design for an object they could never afford. This candelabrum on paper exists as both an aspiration and an abstraction, caught between the intimacy of the hand-drawn line and the cold remove of social stratification.