Girandoles

These gilded girandoles were very fashionable in the early nineteenth century, crafted for both beauty and purpose. Exhibiting the neoclassical design tendency of symmetry and allusion to mythological forms for decorative arts, these were in fact lighting devices for the Rundlet’s parlor. The hippocampus-adorned mirrors were hung high on the wall on purpose by the family, as they were not meant for people to gaze into, but rather as devices for illuminating a room. Candlelight  highlighted the gilding, and the mirrors acted as reflective elements to cast a larger amount of light in the room. The effect illuminated  and emphasized the three-dimensional quality of the flocked wallpaper imported from Paris.