c. 1757

Candlestand

With their exuberantly branching arms, scrolled feet, and fanciful naturalistic motifs of dolphins, stalactites, stalagmites, and grotto, these candlestands reflect the fashionable Rococo style. They were made to hold candelabra and originally decorated the Long Gallery at Hagley Hall in Worcestershire, England, the country house of George, 1st Baron Lyttelton (1709–1793). Hagley was built between 1754 and 1760 in a picturesquely landscaped park that served as inspiration for the building’s interiors, particularly that of the Long Gallery, whose windows overlooked the park. The rustic and natural imagery of the gallery’s furniture—which also included wall lights (1954-83-2,3), pier tables, mirrors, and picture frames—brought a sense of the landscape indoors. The designs of the furniture are based on patterns published by the carver and gilder Thomas Johnson, one of the most influential English ornament designers of the mid-1700s.