The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 12, 2025

Candelabrum

1757–58
fabricated by

François Thomas Germain

(French, 1726–1791)
France, Paris
silver
Diameter: 19.9 cm (7 13/16 in.); Overall: 38.1 x 24.5 cm (15 x 9 5/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1940.14.2
Location: 216A French and German

Did You Know?

These candelabra are part of a dinner service sent from Paris, France, to Saint Petersburg, Russia, in two separate shipments, the first of which contained 270 objects for 8 dozen place settings.

Description

This candelabrum is part of a pair. Its design blurs the line between function and decoration. The arms twist and curve, appearing as flower stems while physically supporting the candles. Though this visual unity is typical of the Rococo style, the influence of the rising neoclassical style is evident in the allegorical scenes of light that decorate each candelabra’s stem.
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned: cat. no. 294 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 138 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 138 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 183 archive.org
  • Exhibition of the Month: "Rococo Style in Various Arts. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 7-September 30, 1945).
  • {{cite web|title=Candelabrum|url=false|author=François Thomas Germain|year=1757–58|access-date=12 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1940.14.2