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A pair of candelabra for Archduke Charles, 1822-25
Audience Hall
A gouache from the Danhauser furniture factory illustrates that this pair of candelabra formed part of a proposal for the palace’s interior decoration under Archduke Charles.
Joseph Danhauser
A pair of candelabra for Archduke Charles, 1822-25
The design shows the candelabra flanking a carved and gilded settee upholstered in red damask, with elaborate drapery in the background, thus identifying them as so-called “canapé candelabra,” which were used to illuminate the large official rooms in addition to chandeliers and wall appliques.
The candelabra’s precious execution in fire-gilded bronze instead of carved and gilded wood suggests that they were originally installed in the palace’s official rooms and not in the private apartments. The pair’s superior quality attests to the high level of Viennese bronze work during the first half of the nineteenth century.