Ontwerp voor een kroonluchter c. 1840

Léon Feuchère, a French designer, created this design for a chandelier using graphite on paper. This drawing offers insight into the world of 19th-century decorative arts, a period marked by industrialization and the rise of a wealthy bourgeoisie eager to display its status through elaborate home furnishings. Feuchère’s design reflects this taste for opulence. It combines functionality with intricate ornamentation. The design reveals a desire to blend technological innovation with historical styles, drawing from the classical and baroque traditions, which were often seen as symbols of power and refinement. To understand this drawing fully, we might turn to sources like trade publications, design manuals, and historical inventories. These could reveal the socio-economic context in which luxury items like chandeliers were produced and consumed. Ultimately, this design reflects how artistic expression is deeply embedded in the social and institutional structures of its time.