Lamp c. 1936

This drawing of a lamp was made by Eugene Barrell, we don't know when, but probably with pencil. There's something tender and thoughtful in how Barrell has chosen to render it. The soft gradations of gray give the lamp its form; the shadows and highlights playing across the surface, and that tiny little gold top. The attention to detail reminds me of some of the surrealist masters. I think of Morandi and his bottles, but more than that, I wonder what the artist was thinking about as they made this drawing. Was it the lamp itself, its history, or simply the pleasure of representing something in the world? This piece reminds me that art is about more than just the final product; it's about the journey, the process, and the connection between the artist and the world.