Miner's Candlestick c. 1940

Rose Campbell-Gerke created this detailed watercolor painting of a "Miner's Candlestick." Campbell-Gerke was active in the first half of the twentieth century in the United States. During this time, depictions of labor and industry became more common as artists responded to the rise of industrialization. This painting presents a very intimate portrayal of an object associated with a typically masculine and dangerous profession. The candle holder is shown as a singular object, which gives a sense of isolation or perhaps hints at the individuality of the worker. The level of detail and care Campbell-Gerke takes in rendering the tool contrasts sharply with how miners were often treated. By focusing on this object, Campbell-Gerke asks us to consider the human cost of industry, and prompts us to reflect on whose stories are deemed worthy of representation. It invites us to consider the dignity of labor and the individual lives behind the tools that built modern society.