Lantern and Fireplace 1931 - 1932

Wanda Gág made this black and white print of a Lantern and Fireplace, and what I love about prints is how tactile they are, you can almost feel the groove of the mark made on the plate. Just imagine Gág inking the plate, wiping away the excess, carefully placing the paper, and running it through the press. And then the reveal. The way she renders the light source above the fireplace, the way the radiating lines taper from thick to thin, reminds me of the graphic quality of woodcuts by German Expressionist artists like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, who was similarly interested in domestic scenes. What was she thinking, I wonder, when she made this image? The details in the beams of light are fascinating. It makes me think about the power of contrast, how light and shadow can create a whole mood, and how the artist wields that tool. I wonder how Gág made her own mark with this particular composition? It’s like she’s saying, “Hey, Kirchner, check this out!” Artists are always in conversation, even across time and space.