Candlestick (one of a pair) 1750 - 1775

Curator: Ah, look at this striking example of 18th-century craftsmanship. This silver candlestick, estimated to be crafted between 1750 and 1775, comes to us from the hand of François II Lacassaigne. Editor: It’s got such a chilly elegance about it. It gleams, yes, but it’s more lunar than solar, like a captured piece of moonlight. Curator: The piece speaks to the tastes of its era. Notice the pronounced Baroque influence with the decorative flourishes and the sculpted acanthus leaves just below the stem's midsection. The metal work is indicative of pieces originating from Strasbourg workshops during this time. Editor: Baroque, certainly, but it's also teetering towards something else. The clean lines fighting with the flourishes – like a reluctant aristocrat trying on revolutionary breeches. Is that tension typical? Curator: Exactly! The mid-18th century saw a gradual shift away from the florid excesses of the early Baroque towards the more restrained Neoclassicism that followed. So, you're right to observe a kind of visual argument happening within the piece. Editor: It’s a gorgeous tug-of-war. Thinking of this placed on a table… all that reflective surface would dance with the candlelight. Although knowing my luck, I’d probably melt half the wax down the side in a disastrously unfashionable way. Curator: Well, such pieces were indeed integral to the performative rituals of dining and display in wealthy households. Reflect on what their presence said about their owner. These candlesticks signified status, taste, and access to resources, shaping how they were viewed by others and saw themselves within this system. Editor: Knowing its place in the world certainly changes my reading of its silvery facade. Though despite its baggage, there's no denying the craft, right? It's easy to get lost just following its contours… that subtle twisting towards the top… Curator: Yes, the object embodies a moment of social transition caught in static metal. It really causes one to consider the ever shifting landscape of wealth and power in Europe at the time. Editor: It does, indeed. Funny, isn't it, how even a simple candlestick can illuminate so much more than just the room.