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Wall Sconce

A work made of copper and brass.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of copper and brass.

Date:

1880/1900

Artist:

Designed by William Arthur Smith Benson (English, 1854-1924)
Made by W. A .S. Benson & Co. (English, 1880-1920)
England, London

About this artwork

William Arthur Smith Benson’s novel designs in brass, copper, and iron forged a link between late-19th-century Arts and Crafts aesthetics and industrial production. Though he was a friend and business associate of William Morris—the leader of a movement advocating handcrafted rather than machine-made goods—Benson saw the possibilities of mass production and founded his own factory in 1880, equipped with the latest machines to streamline the manufacturing process. He created innovative designs for everything from chandeliers, electric lamps, and fireplace accessories to such newly invented modern conveniences as the electric kettle. Rather than relying on elaborate decoration for effect, Benson took advantage of the inherent reflective qualities of his materials. The polished metal surface of these wall sconces would have enhanced the light from the candles they held.

Status

On View, Gallery 246

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Artist

William Arthur Smith Benson (Designer)

Title

Wall Sconce

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.

Made 1880–1900

Medium

Copper and brass

Dimensions

27.9 × 29.2 × 22.9 cm (11 × 11 1/2 × 9 in.)

Credit Line

Anonymous gift

Reference Number

1995.97.2

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.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/221118/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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