Lamp c. 1935

Charles Caseau made this watercolor of a lamp. The hues are subtle. Think of when yellow merges into green, like the first buds of spring. I imagine Caseau carefully studying this lamp, lost in thought, brush in hand. Was he contemplating its form, its function, or perhaps the stories it could tell? He's got a steady hand, but look closely and you'll see these tiny, tentative marks which make this more than just an image of a lamp. It's a little bit wonky, and I kind of like that. The rendering of the lamp's metal has the same effect of early modernists like Picabia. I wonder if Caseau ever saw his paintings? Anyway, this work reminds us that every artist is in conversation with those who came before, each adding their voice to the mix. They inspire us, they challenge us, they push us to see the world in new ways. Painting can be a way of capturing the fleeting moments of perception and imagination.