Grandma's Parlor 1930
wandagag
toned paper
light pencil work
pencil sketch
old engraving style
personal sketchbook
ink drawing experimentation
pen-ink sketch
united-states
sketchbook drawing
pencil work
sketchbook art
"Grandma's Parlor" is a wood engraving created in 1930 by American artist Wanda Gág. The artwork depicts a dimly lit room with a chest of drawers, a small table with various figurines, a framed mirror and a framed picture on the wall, and a chair in the corner. Gág captures the intimacy and quietude of a domestic space through her masterful use of light and shadow and intricate detail. The composition highlights the simple objects that hold sentimental value in a grandmother's home, creating a nostalgic atmosphere that resonated with audiences during the 1930s. The work is currently housed in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, offering a glimpse into the domestic life and artistic sensibilities of the early 20th century.
Comments
Grandma’s Parlor captures every grownup’s discovery that the not-to-be-touched rooms of their childhood—those objects meant only for show—aren’t so formidable after all. Here the two pitchers prepare to dance, and the lamp, as Gág put it, resembles “a gosling poising its ridiculous wings for flight.” Yet the dramatic shadows indicate that this room at her grandmother’s Minnesota farmhouse may hold some residual terror still. The six figures in the scene may represent Gág’s six younger siblings.
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