Candlestick 1935 - 1942

This watercolour painting of a candlestick was made by Christabel Scrymser, who lived from 1855 to 1995. What gets me about this image is its simplicity, the very clear description of the object rendered with delicate washes of watercolor. You can almost feel the artist’s breath on the paper. The color palette is restrained, mostly browns and creams. The form itself is wonderfully observed, with these subtle shifts in tone and saturation that give the candlestick a tangible presence. The spiral form is depicted with a precise rhythm, yet Scrymser doesn’t shy away from irregularities. It's in these small, almost accidental, details that the painting really comes alive. The overall effect reminds me a little of Agnes Martin’s minimalist grids; this shared interest in everyday objects, with their quiet beauty, and also how artists in dialogue over decades find common cause in line, form and colour. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art is often about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, and that there is always more to see if we take the time to really look.