Bureaulamp van Willem Drees 1910 - 1950

This is Willem Drees' desk lamp, made by an anonymous maker at an unknown date, but housed in the Rijksmuseum. What’s cool about this lamp is how it extends, with this scissor-like arm. It’s so wonderfully analog. The metal has this gorgeous, utilitarian feel—industrial chic before it was chic. I can imagine this light casting pools of brightness on drafts of legislation, illuminating late-night debates. The color, that kind of grey that suggests both authority and endless paperwork, grounds the piece in a no-nonsense reality. There is a real play of tensions. The design suggests movement, but the lamp is static, waiting for the user to shift and adjust it. It reminds me a bit of Eva Hesse’s sculptures, in their playful use of industrial materials, but with less deliberate chaos. What I love about this object is that it highlights how even the most functional items can have a quiet, unassuming beauty.