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Chandelier

Date:

1852

Artist:

Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin
English, 1812-1852
Manufactured by John Hardman and Company
Birmingham, England, founded 1838

About this artwork

The motifs on this chandelier—including trefoils, quatrefoils, and scrolling foliage—were favorites of designer Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, who was inspired by the ornamentation of medieval architecture. A leading figure in the Gothic Revival and a convert to Catholicism, Pugin believed that a return to Gothic design in both religious and secular settings would help England reconnect with what he viewed as the superior morals and society of the medieval period.

Pugin introduced this style of chandelier, which combines the medieval Flemish tradition of brass casting with the technical capabilities of industrial manufacturing, at London’s Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851. This particular piece, which is among his most monumental designs for domestic spaces, was commissioned by Henrietta Pole in 1853 for Aldenham Abbey (also known as Wall Hall) in Hertfordshire, England, where it remained for over a century. The coats of arms of her family and her husband, Sir William Stuart, hang between the lower branches.

Status

On View, Gallery 235

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Artist

Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin

Title

Chandelier

Place

England (Object made in:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1852

Medium

Brass and enamels

Dimensions

304.8 × 238.8 cm (120 × 94 in.)

Credit Line

Major Acquisition Fund; John H. and Neville Bryan Endowment Fund; Richard T. Crane Jr. Memorial Fund

Reference Number

2010.429

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/205221/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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