Lamp c. 1940

Here we have John Tarantino’s rendering of a lamp, a study in grey tones and delicate lines. It's like the ghost of a lamp, made with such care and attention to detail. The surface is smooth, almost like the light reflecting off glass itself. Look at the base of the lamp, see how the faceted edges catch the light, creating a play of shadow and reflection? You can almost feel the coolness of the glass, the way it would feel in your hand. It reminds me of a Morandi still life, with it's quiet and considered arrangement of forms, or maybe the subtle tonality of a Whistler nocturne. Tarantino’s lamp invites us to contemplate the beauty of everyday objects. It's a testament to the power of art to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary, revealing the hidden poetry in the world around us.