Chamber candlestick 1802 - 1803

Curator: Immediately I'm struck by how austere and elegant this chamber candlestick looks; so classical, almost cold in its perfection. Editor: I see the austerity, certainly, but for me it speaks more to the social inequalities of the time, think about who would've commissioned such a thing. Let's set the scene here: this is a silver chamber candlestick crafted between 1802 and 1803, created by John Emes. It's currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator: Emes was clearly working within a Neoclassical framework. The clean lines, the geometric forms. Silver as a medium inherently evokes the moon, doesn’t it? That cool, rational light of the Enlightenment seems almost physically manifested here. Notice the deliberate symbolism in its proportions. Editor: Absolutely, it's visually aligned with the aesthetics of power that Neoclassicism represented; remember the era and the social hierarchies it perpetuated! Though, the domestic setting adds an interesting dimension. It's about control, order, the 'civilizing' influence of wealth displayed even in something as commonplace as a candlestick. How might owning something this luxurious affected social identity? Curator: Ah, that's precisely the magic! The candlestick isn't *just* about wealth or dominance. Light and shadow, those age-old symbols. Candlesticks guide you through the darkness and they are also associated with ancient rituals, storytelling. Editor: So you see this less as a declaration of power and more as a comfort? I am interested to learn your interpretation given that the 'holder' for moving it from room to room appears much like an exaggerated finger-ring! I imagine it served a more specific purpose tied to the mobility and ritual, for a specific individual, of light during that era, but for whom? What would the artist have thought? Curator: Exactly! Light has guided people, for thousands of years. A well-made candlestick became more than an object; it resonated in one's imagination like some symbol. This candlestick whispers stories and cultural meanings embedded in silver for years to come. Editor: And these stories of light, like those told today with our tech devices and media, have continued through generations, each generation altering our social conditions along the way, and our ways to navigate literal, symbolic, and virtual forms of the dark. Curator: Beautifully said. That little piece of reflective metal, just like cultural objects, holds stories. Editor: Right! Here’s a question: who gets to craft narratives? In Emes’s time, this candlestick amplified those that reflected their socio-political and spiritual priorities. Whose lights do we follow today, and who's carrying the candle now?