Pewter Lamp c. 1941

This drawing of a pewter lamp was made on paper by Sydney Roberts. Look at the gradation of tones, that smooth grey that gives the metal its shine. It makes me think of a black and white photograph, all about light and shadow. The drawing gives the lamp a kind of sculptural presence. Notice how the lamp looks solid and three-dimensional due to the artist’s careful rendering of light and shadow. The texture is smooth; it’s all about the surface. The grey is so neutral, and you can almost feel the coolness of the metal. The eye travels up and down the image following the pencil strokes, a real physical dance for the viewer. The lamp shade on its side is a bold move, an odd compositional choice, it creates a nice tension in the piece. This drawing feels connected to the work of Giorgio Morandi, who also spent much of his time drawing simple domestic items. Like him, Roberts shows us the beauty in the ordinary. Art's about looking; it's about seeing the world in new ways, and she certainly helps us do that here.