Country Carnival c. 1935

George E.C. Wiggins made this lithograph, "Country Carnival," and the dark values create a sense of night, drawing you into the crowd. The lithographic marks make me think of the physicality of the stone, and the way that grease and acid interact to make a surface receptive to ink. It's a process of layering and building up tones, a bit like building up a painting, but in reverse. Look at the way the light flickers across the faces in the crowd, each one a unique character rendered with a few simple marks. The texture is so palpable, you can almost feel the energy of the carnival. That dancer is a great shape. The tonal range is very limited - almost monochromatic, but the darks really give the image some punch. The way Wiggins suggests movement with just a few lines is very similar to Honoré Daumier, and his satirical lithographs of Parisian life. These are images that embrace the grit and vitality of everyday life.