Lantaarn met zes-kantige raampjes in bronzen frame, rustend op een bronzen standaard. c. 1878 - 1881

This photograph by Louis-Emile Durandelle captures a bronze and glass lamp with hexagonal windows, resting on a bronze stand. The lamp's material presence owes much to the lost wax casting process, which would have been used to form its intricate details. The initial wax model, carefully sculpted, would be encased in a mold, then melted away to make room for molten bronze. The final piece then emerges as a solid form. Consider the social context of this lamp. It speaks to the rise of industrial Paris, demanding new forms of lighting. The production of such an object would involve specialized labor, from design to casting to finishing. The aesthetic of bronze, associated with civic pride and permanence, elevates a functional object to a statement of civic identity. The lamp isn't just about illumination; it represents a period where design, craft, and industry converged, transforming the urban landscape and our daily lives.