Lampadophore, Or Outdoor Statue-lamp Of The Nineteenth Century In Cast Iron

Lampadophore, or outdoor statue-lamp.
19th century cast iron sculpture. Resting on a high circular, an ephebe holds his toga in one hand, and a torch in the other. The use of gas for lighting, before electricity, spread during the 19th century. Streetlights replace lanterns, candle or oil, in the streets of cities and in gardens. At the same time, science and technology are developing, and with them, industrialization. The Industrial Revolution, which began in the 18th century, but was interrupted by the other Revolution (which as we remember "does not need scientists") took off in the 1830s. With it, the rise of mines of coal allows the multiplication of blast furnaces which produce steel and cast iron. This one lends itself to the manufacture of molded elements (stoves replace fireplaces, and when I was little, an advertisement praised its solidity: "is it solid? ... It is cast iron!" ) in the artistic field, and becomes a substitute for bronze. It can be cast in series, and the cost is much lower. We therefore use it to make, in addition to locomotives, street furniture (Parisian lanterns, with their municipal crown, Wallace fountains, various aids, etc.) and decorative objects such as our lamppost, including the glass globe (or flame?) is missing. The position of the character is an interpretation, taken from Antiquity, thus responding to the canons of Greek Beauty.