A CHANDELIER

A number of special household items appeared around chandeliers: special holders for candlewicks to light up candles in the chandeliers hanging high and also special caps on long stems, to take out the candles at the end of the celebration. A slow walk of livered footmen through the rooms, abandoned by the guests, with such caps in their hands became a special ritual was remembered by many contemporaries. This custom became the final point of the festivity. "The ball is over, the candles are out" – a well-known saying reflected knowledge of this event.
For the convenience of use of chandeliers, sometimes were used different mechanical devices. In palaces with very high ceilings chandeliers were lowered to make easier replacement of candles.
When the house was empty – the owners went away for a long time – chandeliers were wrapped in fabric, covered with sheaths. This custom over time also became a symbol of the abandoned dwelling.
Since fire safety was one of the most important requirements construction of chandeliers provided for many such features. The distance between the lamps was well measured, and only non-combustible materials were used. And indeed, the majority of chandeliers of this period were made from metal: sometimes iron and steel, though more often from various copper alloys, among which particularly magnificent were bronze chandeliers.
Decoration of chandeliers was determined by inventive design solutions, sometimes most obviously, by fashion and changes in artistic styles. By the end of the XVIII Century gilded bronze elements become a sustainable fashion trend, combined with elements tinted in a dark color hue, which corresponded to the so-called "noble patina". These elements of chandeliers often had exquisite and refined form: flowers and branches, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures – realistic and imaginary. Frequently the set of elements of artistic composition was easily interpretable: symbolizing ideas of ancient myths or literary works associated with the victory of light over darkness both literally and figuratively. In this respect, chandeliers were no exception – the decor of many (almost all) ceremonial household items of the time personified certain ideas of the Century.
Therefore, in the design of many of lighting devices, you can see images of flames, stars, half-moons and solar disks... frequent are symbolic images of "night", "day" and "sky".
At the end of the XVIII – XIX Centuries particularly popular were chandeliers, the lower part of which was made in shape of a slightly convex disc (previously the lower part had a form of a ledge-cone, equipped with a suspension – ball or brush). Those chandeliers had a complex basis-rod, and branches, attached to this basis, ended with images of ancient lamps, horns of plenty, torches and other popular in the art of classicism images.
Bronze multi-tiered chandeliers were very elegant, fashionable and, of course, confirmed the wealth of the owner. Their designs easily reflected any whims of the architect decorating the interior and the owner of the Palace. As a rule, such chandeliers were made at the highest artistic level and were real masterpieces of applied art. Often such chandeliers were purchased abroad in world famous workshops. Bronze chandeliers were also very practical: fireproof and since they were assembled of component parts, could be very diverse in shape and finish, even coming from the same bronze foundry. However large Gala bronze chandeliers had one drawback (besides high cost) – they were excessively heavy! It created quite a problem for the architect and the owner.
Therefore, besides bronze chandeliers of this type, also were made chandeliers of lighter materials – wood or papier-mache. Those weren’t any cheaper – at all. Wooden and paper chandeliers were created at special orders by the best craftsmen. Best palaces were decorated with such lighting devices: Ostankino of Counts Sheremetev, at Novinsky Boulevard of Princes Gagarin, etc.
The chandelier presented at the exposition is one of the latter. Unfortunately, the names of its makers are not known. Perhaps the carvers, gilders and designers were among the serfs. But they, undoubtedly, had been training by the best members of that profession. The author of the composition as a whole was without any doubt a professional artist and architect.
The design of the chandelier in general, is quite traditional: a figured rod crowned with a female figure standing on a ball, with a canopy decorated with stars; a solar mascaron is placed on the lower disk; the upper row of lamps is formed by plant elements, the lower is held by hands of anthropomorphic figures. They wear Egyptian shawls and behind them are ears of reeds. The chandelier is painted in two colors: black and gold, only some elements are highlighted with exquisite dark blue.
Technologically, its elements are flawless and the artistic level is also very high.