Whale Oil Lamp c. 1940

Curator: There's a quiet dignity to this watercolour illustration, “Whale Oil Lamp,” created around 1940 by Janet Riza. Something about it makes you pause, doesn't it? Editor: It’s striking how simply she's rendered it. It almost feels like a ghostly apparition of light. The muted blues give it such a serene, ethereal quality. Curator: Indeed. The lamp itself, so clearly of another era, becomes more than just a functional object. Think about whale oil—that connects us to a complex history of resourcefulness, but also environmental impact. Editor: It evokes the past in a way I wasn’t expecting. Oil lamps are icons of resource and sustainability. Each shape seems deliberate and imbued with purpose, reflecting our reliance on these resources and how each drop was crucial. There’s an austerity, perhaps, that comes with that level of dependency and use. Curator: Exactly! The watercolor is beautiful, of course, but beyond its delicate rendering, it tells of transition. As the twentieth century progressed and electric lighting became common, whale oil lamps symbolized a past way of life—a reminder of a reliance on nature and perhaps of a less complicated world. Editor: I love how you said "ghostly apparition", because now I'm looking at this like I might an urn for ashes. Does it suggest memory? Curator: Perhaps. These household objects represent, also, the long winter nights inside. There's also a sense of self-reliance, resourcefulness and endurance implicit here too. Editor: Now I understand its haunting qualities: it suggests remembrance of both people and of a specific lifestyle and aesthetic. And so skillfully suggested in watercolor too. It's quite beautiful and really gets you thinking about cycles. Thank you! Curator: It reminds us that even the simplest images can resonate deeply if you’re open to where they lead you! Thanks for illuminating this work.