Kandelaar in de vorm van een naakte vrouw c. 1765 - 1775

Louis Félix de La Rue created this drawing of a candelabra in the form of a nude woman during the 18th century. The female figure supports a classical urn, a symbol often associated with funerary rites and remembrance. The motif of a figure bearing weight is ancient. Consider the caryatids of the Erechtheion in Athens; these sculpted female figures support the entablature, their stoic stance a testament to enduring strength and burden. Here, La Rue softens the motif. The woman’s nudity evokes a sense of vulnerability. The collective memory of idealized forms blends with emerging notions of naturalism. The subconscious association of such figures with mourning rituals speaks to the deep human connection between beauty, fragility, and mortality. This candelabra is more than decorative. It reflects the cyclical progression of symbols. It evolves, resurfaces and takes on new meanings across history.