Lamp c. 1936

Hester Duany made this watercolor of a lamp some time before 1964. She builds up the form with layers of thin washes, a delicate process of adding color. It’s like she’s coaxing the lamp into being, bit by bit. Look closely, and you’ll see how she uses the paper’s surface, letting the light shine through the transparent layers of pigment. The base of the lamp is a symphony of browns and purples, with subtle variations that give it depth. I love the way she handles the highlights, leaving small areas of the paper bare to create a sense of luminosity. Notice the small dark accents along the outlines, they help to define the form and give it a sense of weight. It reminds me of some of Giorgio Morandi’s still lifes, with their quiet contemplation of everyday objects. Like Morandi, Duany invites us to slow down and really see the beauty in the mundane. It's a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, and that there are always new ways of seeing the world around us.