Twee urnen en een kandelaar 1817

Pietro Ruga made this undated drawing of two urns and a candelabra. The image presents a window into the world of design and the decorative arts. The objects reflect the pervasive influence of classical forms on European aesthetics, particularly during the Neoclassical movement, which emphasized symmetry and geometric principles. Details such as the swan and dolphin may allude to mythological themes. This imagery was especially fashionable among Europe’s elite, who sought to link themselves to the glory of past empires through their taste in art and architecture. The candelabra is a clear sign that these objects would have been made for the home. The image doesn’t explicitly comment on the social structures of its time. However, as a cultural historian, I am interested in locating the drawing within a longer history of consumption and class display. Catalogues, inventories, and domestic records may help us better understand the significance of these objects and their place in the homes of eighteenth-century Europeans.