Whale Oil Lamp 1935 - 1942

Irene Malawicz made this pencil on paper drawing, "Whale Oil Lamp". During Malawicz's lifetime, from 1855 to 1995, society was rapidly transitioning from oil lamps to electricity for lighting. The whale oil lamp, once a symbol of progress, became an antique, a relic of a bygone era. As sources of fuel shifted from organic to more ecologically harmful substances, we can consider how our relationship to technologies change over time, alongside our perception of it. With its detailed rendering and careful shading, Malawicz elevates a commonplace object to a subject worthy of artistic attention. It suggests an elegy for a fading technology. The drawing serves as a reminder of the environmental consequences of technological advancement, and a reflection on the nostalgia we project onto objects of the past.