Lamp c. 1936

Eugene Barrell made this drawing of a lamp with graphite on paper sometime in the twentieth century. Look at how the light seems to roll over the surface of the lamp. It's all built up with these tiny, precise strokes. It’s almost like he’s feeling the form into existence. The graphite gives it this soft, silvery quality. You can really see the care he took in building up the tones. It feels solid, but also delicate. Check out the way the handle attaches to the body – the simple curve, how it catches the light. It’s so understated, yet it’s what gives the whole piece its charm. It reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi, with his still life paintings of bottles and jars. Both artists found something quietly profound in the everyday. There's a stillness here. It's like Barrell is inviting us to pause, to really see the beauty in the simplest of things.