Ontwerp voor een lichtkroon c. 1835

This is Jean-Jacques Feuchère’s design for a chandelier. Look at how it’s suspended by chains adorned with stylized faces, common motifs in classical designs. These faces, and the acanthus leaves curling around the chandelier’s base, are echoes of ancient Greece and Rome, resurfacing during Feuchère's time as part of a broader revival of classical forms in the decorative arts. Notice how these elements convey a sense of timelessness, yet are re-imagined through a 19th-century lens. The faces evoke a sense of emotional depth. Think of the masks in ancient Greek theatre, used to amplify emotions. Here, the faces might act as guardians, their expressions—whether serene or stern—infusing the object with a protective aura. The chandelier, thus, becomes more than a mere light fixture; it is a vessel of cultural memory, a testament to how symbols evolve and adapt, carrying echoes of the past into the present.