Candelabra c. 1940

Curator: The image before us is "Candelabra," a coloured pencil drawing from around 1940 by Richard Taylor. What are your initial thoughts on this intriguing piece? Editor: It feels…oddly formal and yet cartoonish at the same time. There’s a gravity to the wooden base that anchors it, but then the candlestick arms swoop around in a way that feels almost whimsical. I keep thinking of a character from Beauty and the Beast! Curator: An apt association! Taylor renders the object with a level of detail and precision that’s almost technical, like an inventor's diagram. But your read is spot on. The almost human qualities of this object feel significant, echoing a desire for domestic warmth amidst what may have been difficult times. Editor: Exactly! Do you think the choice of coloured pencil contributes to this sense of comfort? There’s a softness here that oil paint or even charcoal wouldn't have achieved. It brings the inanimate alive! Curator: Absolutely. Pencil, and especially coloured pencil, possesses an accessibility and everyday quality. Consider the candelabra itself, often a symbol of status or ceremony. However, Taylor transforms it into something less imposing and more relatable using this unassuming medium, softening its impact and encouraging personal reflection. Editor: The historical moment adds another layer, doesn’t it? Making an image of domestic objects at that time—what do you make of its presence as the world descended deeper into war? Curator: It serves as a stark reminder of contrasting realities: global upheaval juxtaposed with an imagined scene of domestic peace and beauty. And, what I appreciate in this representation of material objects is that the objects become less of an advertisement, less symbols of excess and status, and perhaps touchstones for simple pleasures and shared moments. The candelabra itself becomes a symbol for those private moments. Editor: And that's precisely where the drawing transcends its mere subject matter and touches us on a human level! It makes us pause to remember what objects hold cultural significance, the domestic memories and the cultural memory. Curator: Precisely. It really holds symbolic power. Editor: Yes, it's both beautiful and thought-provoking—more than just a pretty drawing.