Reference Room c. 1935 - 1943

David Feinstein’s lithograph captures a bustling reference room, an intellectual agora filled with seekers of knowledge. Note how the artist meticulously renders the architectural space, organizing the figures in a network of intersecting lines and planes. Consider the incandescent lamps illuminating the tables, drawing attention to the act of reading, a powerful symbol of enlightenment. The motif echoes the tradition of the ‘candlelit scholar’ often found in Flemish paintings, representing the pursuit of wisdom. Yet, here, it takes on a modern twist. The figures, bent over books, resonate with the ancient archetype of the scribe. From the clay tablets of Mesopotamia to illuminated manuscripts, the act of writing and reading has always been the vessel for cultural memory. Here we see the individual minds in communion with the collective knowledge of generations past. Thus, the reference room becomes a symbolic space where the past and present converge, offering a glimpse into the ceaseless quest for meaning and understanding.