Candlestick 1525 - 1600

René Boyvin made this print of a candlestick in the 16th century. It’s a rather ornate object, adorned with cherubs and sphinxes. Boyvin worked in France at a time when the Catholic Church was losing its grip on power. Artists found inspiration in ancient Greece and Rome, turning to classical forms to give their work a new authority. Candlesticks like this were status symbols among the aristocracy. The winged cherubs and classical sphinxes on this design were visual cues of sophistication and taste, reinforcing their elevated social position. Historical records, like inventories of aristocratic households, are useful in understanding the social context for luxury objects like this. These sources help us to look beyond aesthetics and understand the ways in which art objects, like this candlestick, shaped the lives of people in the past.