Candlestick 1700 - 1800

This pencil drawing on paper depicts a candlestick. Without knowing who made this drawing or exactly when, it's hard to say what purpose it served within a specific workshop or institution. The gridlines and notations suggest this was a design or pattern for production. We can see that the design is rooted in classical architecture with its emphasis on symmetry and proportion. Candlesticks like this would have been luxury objects. The maker would have needed skill and access to expensive materials like silver or bronze. The finished product would have been intended for use in wealthy homes or churches, places that sought to project authority and status. Catalogues and pattern books are invaluable in understanding the social life of objects like these. These resources can reveal the workshops that produced them, the clientele they served, and the visual culture to which they belonged. Ultimately, this modest drawing opens a window onto the hierarchies of skill, taste, and social class.