These chandeliers in the Met Museum were fitted with LED candles--read about it below
Grand Salon from the Hôtel de Tessé, Paris
Wall sconces in the Grand Salon from the Hôtel de Tessé, Paris
Sèvres porcelain sconces illuminating a mantle
Chandelier from the Boiserie from the Hôtel Lauzun
Room from a hotel in the Cours d'Albret, Bordeaux
Standing lamps in the Louis XIV bedroom
Crystal chandeliers in the Louis XV room
Detail of hand-painted fiberglass sheathing that insulates the external wires
Detail of discreet auxiliary lighting used for up-lights
The fixtures were fitted with electric candles
Metropolitan Museum: Wrightsman Gallery
New York, New York
The famed Wrightsman Galleries for French Decorative Arts occupies approximately 12,000 square feet of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan.
Imported from 18th century France, the rooms are spectacular examples of the splendor and elegance of French interiors. Because the fixtures in the rooms (which include the Varengeville, Carbis, Paar, Bordeaux, Crillon, Lauzun, Louis XV, and de Tesse) are priceless, the Aurora Lampworks team worked on-site in a conservation lab. For over a year, we worked alongside the Museum's conservation team as they meticulously conserved the finishes on the lighting fixtures that we would later rewire.
The fixtures were originally meant for candles, and were later electrified. Our scope was to upgrade the existing lamping to bulbs that look remarkably like candles. The flame tip moves and the lights pulsate, which makes the new bulbs appear like they flicker. The movement is subtle, but like real candles, the electric candles provide animation and warmth to the rooms.
Aurora's scope also included the integration of very small low voltage lights. The auxiliary lighting were recessed into small gold plated housings and attached to inconspicuous places on the chandeliers. The ornate and beautiful lead crystals adorning the fixtures were highlighted and appeared to glow from within. In some cases, mini spotlights were added to light the artworks on the walls. Amidst all the decorative elements, the spotlights are very hard to detect but are very effective.
The rooms were completed in 2007 under the direction of Danielle Kisluk-Grosheide, the curator at the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, Larry French from Aurobeck Lighting Consultants, and the dedicated Conservation team at the Met Museum.
Awards:
2009 IALD Award of Excellence - Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Wrightsman Galleries for French Decorative Arts