Tin Lantern c. 1937

Augustine Haugland made this striking watercolour painting of a tin lantern, but when exactly, we don't know! Looking at it, I imagine Haugland thinking about light and shadow, the warm glow of a candle against the cool metal. See how he’s built up these layers of grey washes. It's not just about depicting an object; it's about capturing the essence of light itself. I imagine the painting coming to life through gradual washes of colour. There is a meditative process, almost like the slow burning of the candle within the lantern. The perforations in the lantern cast little sparks of light, and he’s repeated that motif across the surface of the object, creating this intricate pattern. You can see here, Haugland is in conversation with the likes of Giorgio Morandi, or Agnes Martin, in capturing the quiet beauty in the ordinary. Artists everywhere work this way, taking inspiration from everyday objects to make art.