subject: Finding Crystal Chandeliers For Public Venues [print this page] There's a reason why we associate chandeliers with arts and humanities venues--they exude beauty and elegance. You can't go to an opera house or classical art gallery, or just about any old public venue without seeing a crystal chandelier as the focal point.
It has to be understood that at the height of the modern renaissance, at a time when the world was industrializing and preparing for the new age, chandeliers were a staple of interior design. Now we can look at Maria Theresa chandeliers and think they hold an old world and beautifully antiquated appeal, but at the time they were the popular thing. They signified an upper class. They were signs of a well-educated family with reputation.
It only makes sense, then that they would then be included in the design of arts and humanities buildings--museums, dining halls for galas, gallerias, restaurants, and ballrooms. In fact, if there wasn't some sort of high society lighting fixture you could most likely question the reputation or authority of such places. But, with the modern age things changed. The drift between the wealthy and middle classes shrunk, and the ability of others to own such wonderful pieces became more common.
Essentially we should be thankful that something that started as an exuberance could be introduced into standard living and yet still hold the same significance--pride, wealth, and class. Many of the Maria Theresa chandeliers you would once see in mansions are now affordable for smaller venues like concert halls, cafes, and theaters. Those who may not have had a chance to enjoy the warm glow that emanates from such a fixture can now do so while sipping a coffee and reading the daily newspaper.
Community centers can now feature them for their daily visitors to enjoy too. It has become a thing that all can cherish and admire, and not necessarily from a distance. And when you really think about it, they never go out of style. There's something very timeless about these pieces of dcor. People like the association it has with history. Is it societal nostalgia, perhaps? Or, maybe they represent the remembrance of a luxurious past and the joy in an opportunistically positive future.
Regardless of what you feel when you see a chandelier of grandeur, you still cannot deny the attention it draws from crowds of people. It sparks conversation like no other design aesthetic can.
