Lantaarn met glazen bol, omringd door een kandelaar, het geheel rust op een bronzen voet met ornament c. 1878 - 1881

Curator: This photograph, taken by Louis-Emile Durandelle around 1878 to 1881, depicts a "Lantaarn met glazen bol, omringd door een kandelaar, het geheel rust op een bronzen voet met ornament." The photograph itself is a metal-based print. What's your initial impression? Editor: It evokes a quiet solemnity. The sepia tones and the way the light catches the glass sphere at the top almost gives it an otherworldly aura. There’s a clear classical influence with a touch of the baroque, maybe a hint of empire-style grandeur mixed in as well. Curator: Indeed. Durandelle's photographic practice often documented architectural details and decorative arts, but this particular lantern is interesting, situated within its late 19th-century French context. This image reveals a specific moment in time, reflecting the bourgeoisie's fascination with both progress and historical aesthetics. The photograph’s stillness contrasts with the implied function of the object—to illuminate and animate. Editor: The ornamentation surrounding the globe—that circle of candlesticks dangling delicate chains—really intrigues me. The arrangement of lights around this central orb calls forth ancient associations, you know? Light, especially from candles, has always signified knowledge, divinity, and enlightenment. Was the designer consciously building upon these established iconographies, I wonder? Curator: Precisely! The object can be understood as reflecting particular anxieties of the time as technological advancement brought electrification. Consider the shadow on the back wall of the shot as well, implying what it means for things to fall out of the light. The photograph, then, preserves not only the physical artifact but also the complex social values it represents. We're prompted to examine the relationship between traditional craftsmanship, emerging technologies, and power structures of that era. Editor: You are absolutely correct; its visual symbolism represents a sort of yearning. What are we lighting the way towards, and with what? There's a beautiful tension here. Curator: A yearning expressed through carefully curated ornamentation and lighting. The photo helps us understand these objects within wider narratives of change. Editor: And within the constant ebb and flow of symbols. Thinking about our continuous striving for the light!