Candelabrum
1 of 7
Object Label
Cornelius & Company was hailed as the leading U.S. manufacturer of lighting at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. At the first World’s Fair in the “New World,” held in 1853 in Bryant Park where the New York Public Library now stands, Cornelius & Baker exhibited a version of this monumental candelabrum encrusted with leaves and flowers (see illustration). The top section can be removed and replaced with a glass bowl to hold flowers.
Caption
Cornelius & Baker (1853–1869). Candelabrum, ca. 1850–1851. Gilded bronze, 34 x 18 1/2 x 18 1/2 in. (86.4 x 47 x 47 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Marie Bernice Bitzer Fund, 1998.89. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Manufacturer
Title
Candelabrum
Date
ca. 1850–1851
Geography
Place made: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Medium
Gilded bronze
Classification
Dimensions
34 x 18 1/2 x 18 1/2 in. (86.4 x 47 x 47 cm)
Markings
Impressed on underside of base: "C & C"
Credit Line
Marie Bernice Bitzer Fund
Accession Number
1998.89
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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Frequent Art Questions
That piece is so stunning in that dark, dark space. The maker of this piece, Cornelius & Baker, was a leading manufacturer of metal lighting in the US and exhibited a pair of 15-foot tall candelabra in London in 1851. The top section of the candelabrum can be removed and replaced with a glass bowl to hold flowers.
Can you tell me more about this candle stick?
This candelabrum is decorated in the Rococo Revival style. You can see all of the leaves and natural motifs in the decoration, all created with an attention to realism. If you look closely, you can see that portions of the gilding are shiny, while others were left matte. When the candles were lit the light would reflect differently on the shiny and matte sections.Okay, thank you.
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