Bruno Paul
Candelabrum

Candelabrum

© Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Candelabrum
Candelabrum
DesignerGerman, 1874–1968
CultureGerman
Titles
  • Candelabrum
Date1901
PlaceDresden-Löbtau, Germany
PlaceMunich, Germany
PlaceDresden, Germany
MediumBrass
DimensionsOverall: 15 3/4 × 27 3/4in. (40 × 70.5cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Roger Ager Collection, Liberty, Texas
Object number2000.589.A-.M
Non exposé

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Object Type
DescriptionThis monumental candelabrum is one of the few non-furniture objects designed by Bruno Paul, a painter, illustrator, and furniture and interior designer who came of age in Munich during the reign of Art Nouveau style. The candelabrum was sold in several sizes by the Vereinigte Werkstätten between 1901 and 1914. It fully embodies the expression of the German Art Nouveau style, and its importance as an indicator of the style has given it status as an icon of the period. The candelabrum consists of a central shaft that rises from a stepped circular base, and 12 arms that swivel and are arranged in length and height to form graduated tiers. The composition is like that of a tree, or—as some have observed—a stylized peacock.

Provenance[Historical Design, Inc., New York]; purchased by MFAH, 2000.
Exhibition History"Recent Accessions in Modern and Contemporary Design", MFA,H, Alice Pratt Brown Garden Gallery, August 27, 2005 - March 5, 2006.

"Circa 1900: Decorative Arts at the Turn of the Century," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Alice Pratt Brown Gallery, February 26-July 31, 2011.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
There are no marks or inscriptions on the candelabrum.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

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