Sconce (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
This elegant pair of neoclassical sconces represents high-style tastes of the post-revolutionary period. Independence opened up new trading opportunities for American merchants, giving rise to the nation’s first millionaires and the development of port cities such as Salem and Baltimore. The subsequent construction of elite homes created a demand for expensive furnishings, including fashionable sconces like this pair. Produces in American or imported from England, the sets flanked looking glasses and windows, their gilded surfaces capturing the candle’s illumination and lending it a jeweled effect. The eagle, acanthus leaf, and ribbon motifs were signature details of the period’s neoclassical style.
Early Republic; Neoclassical
Floyd D. and Anne C. Gottwald Fund
2018: Collecting for the Commonwealth Preserving for the Nation, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 1919-2018, Winter Antiques Show, Park Avenue Armory, New York City, NY, January 18 - 26, 2018.
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
