Lamp 1935 - 1942

Christabel Scrymser created this watercolor painting of a lamp. Scrymser, born in 1855, lived through a period of rapid industrialization and social change. As an artist, she occupied a unique position in society, one in which women were gaining more access to education and artistic expression, yet were still often confined by societal expectations. The choice to depict a lamp is in itself interesting. Lamps, as sources of light, have historically been potent symbols of knowledge, guidance, and hope. In a time of immense change and uncertainty, such symbols would have carried significant weight. The lamp in the drawing is embellished with intricate decorative motifs, including a bird perched at the top. This is more than mere decoration; it evokes the cultural significance of the natural world. Scrymser’s “Lamp” invites us to contemplate not only the object itself, but also the values, hopes, and anxieties of a society on the cusp of modernity. It captures an emotional and historical moment through the lens of an everyday object.