Lamp with Shade c. 1938

Charles Caseau made this watercolor painting of a lamp with a shade, but we don’t know exactly when. It’s a study of light and form, but also of patience. The entire image hovers in a space somewhere between grey and sepia. There are thin layers of watercolor, and it gives the lamp this otherworldly feeling, like a ghost. The lamp itself has an opaque presence and yet it almost disappears into the background, like a memory. Look closely at the way the light glances off the gold parts of the lamp, and how that contrasts with the floral design. Each little flower or bunch of grapes is a moment of concentrated looking, and also a little burst of pleasure. It’s an unassuming, almost anonymous work, but the artist’s careful attention makes it into something quite beautiful. I'm reminded of Giorgio Morandi. Like him, Caseau finds the extraordinary in the everyday.