Design for a Two-Armed Candelabra with Rocaille Ornaments and Flowers, Plate 3 from an Untitled Series of Designs for Suspended Candelabra 1745 - 1755

This drawing of a candelabra comes from an untitled series by Carl Pier, dating back to the 18th century. The design is dominated by the sinuous lines of Rococo ornamentation, intricately interwoven with floral motifs and a fantastical dragon-like figure. The monochrome medium accentuates the detailed textures and the play of light and shadow across the design. Pier’s work encapsulates the Rococo fascination with asymmetry and elaborate detail, challenging the more rigid forms of earlier design aesthetics. The candelabra's structure—with its organic, flowing shapes—mirrors the era's broader cultural shift towards valuing naturalism and ornamental exuberance. Note how the dragon merges seamlessly with the foliage, blurring the lines between the natural and the artificial. Ultimately, Pier’s design serves as a testament to the Rococo period’s embrace of complexity and its departure from conventional symmetry, leaving us to consider the fluid boundaries between nature, art, and the imagination.