Peg Lamp c. 1937

Samuel O. Klein made this drawing of a peg lamp, likely with graphite and watercolor. What strikes me is the way Klein treats the depiction of light as a process, not just a result. See how the metallic base glows with soft, blended strokes of gold and brown? It's like he's building the sensation of light, rather than just painting a shiny object. The precision of the linework contrasts beautifully with the more fluid rendering of the lamp's body. The details captured – the screw threads, the subtle shadows within the glass – are less about perfect representation and more about conveying how the light interacts with each surface. There's an almost diagrammatic quality to the surrounding sketches of the lamp's components. It reminds me a little of Vija Celmins' meticulous drawings of everyday objects, in its quiet intensity and attention to detail. Like Celmins, Klein invites us to really *look*, to examine the subtle nuances of form and light that we might otherwise overlook. This piece shows art isn't about answers but about the questions we ask when we pay close attention.