Grease Lamp c. 1936

Janet Riza made this drawing of a Grease Lamp at an unknown date, using what looks like graphite on paper. I love the way the subtle gradations of tone evoke the form of the lamp, the details emerging almost sculpturally from the page. The materiality here is quiet but compelling. It's not about bravura strokes or expressive color, but a more contemplative engagement. The texture is smooth, almost polished, mirroring the object itself. Look at the handle, for example—the way it curves and catches the light, described with such economy and precision. There’s also a second drawing of the top of the lamp in the upper left corner of the page, almost like a detail or an afterthought. I like to think of these marks as conversations between the artist and the object, each line a question, each shadow a whispered response. This drawing reminds me a little of Morandi, though with a slightly more folksy sensibility. Riza invites us to look closely, to find beauty in the everyday, and to appreciate the quiet poetry of form.