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Candelabrum
Matthew Boulton, born 1728 - died 1809 - Enlarge image
Candelabrum
- Place of origin:
Birmingham, England (made)
- Date:
1817-1818 (hallmarked)
- Artist/Maker:
Matthew Boulton, born 1728 - died 1809 (manufacturer)
- Materials and Techniques:
Silver, cast and engraved
- Credit Line:
Bequeathed by Reginald Dyson
- Museum number:
M.46&A-1943
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 118e, case 2
Object Type
Large and magnificent candelabra such as this one were generally used on the dinner table. More lighting was required when the dinner hour moved from the late afternoon to the evening, following the fashion in France for dining later. Candelabra with two or three branches became more common in Britain from the 1770s. Some people were critical of their effect. In The Cook's Oracle (1821), Dr William Kitchener noted that 'dinner tables are seldom sufficiently lighted ... our foolish modern pompous candelabras, seem intended to illuminate the ceiling, rather than to give light on the plates'.
People
This candelabrum was made by the Birmingham firm of Matthew Boulton Plate Co. as a special order for Perceval, Earl of Egmont. Although Matthew Boulton himself had died in 1809, the business was continued by his son, Matthew Robinson Boulton.
Design
The simple but elegant design of this candelabrum, using plain surfaces, contrasting gadroon (convex fluting) decoration and elongated forms terminating in urn-shaped sockets for the candles, recalls the work of one of the top London silversmiths, John Scofield, in the 1790s. Such a restrained Neo-classical style had been popularised in the late 18th century by the architect Robert Adam.
