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Paschal Candlestick
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
In Roman Catholic practice, a large candlestick holds the Paschal Candle, blessed and lit for the first time on Easter eve, then used on significant occasions throughout the year. Despite its religious function, the decorations here are entirely secular-ranging from panthers and bound satyrs to the heads of raptors and goats. These elements derive from ancient Roman sculpture and were especially popular among intellectuals in northern Italy, who were actively exploring connections among pagan traditions, ancient philosophy, and Christianity.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePaschal Candlestick, c. 1525–1550. Northern Italy, possibly Padua, 16th century. Bronze; overall: 123.2 x 41 x 44 cm (48 1/2 x 16 1/8 x 17 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of John L. Severance, 1942.802
