Candelabrum

From the museum

The quality of the chasing, or finishing details, on this candelabrum is outstanding, evoking various surfaces such as tree bark, birds’ feathers, and the skin of cherubs. Jean Joseph de Saint-Germain was a renowned bronze caster, whose signed works bear stylistic resemblance to this artwork. The lack of logical connections between motifs, such as the miniaturization of the cherubs and architectural elements in relation to the birds, is a common feature of the Rococo style, criticized once the style went out of fashion. The other candelabrum in this set of two is in Dresden, Germany; both pieces came from the collection of the Prince Elector of Saxony.

The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC0