Lantern and Fireplace 1931 - 1932

Wanda Gág made this lithograph, *Lantern and Fireplace*, using stone, grease, and acid to create velvety blacks and a magical, softly glowing light. You can almost feel Gág feeling her way into the process here, responding intuitively to the emerging image with each mark. Look at the texture she’s conjured from the build-up of tiny dots, and the sharp, angular relief of the fireplace. This isn’t just about depicting a room; it’s about the physical act of bringing a space to life. See how the light from the lantern and fireplace doesn’t just illuminate, but seems to carve out the space, creating a kind of tunnel vision that sucks you into the scene. And the ceiling, with its bursting star pattern, seems to be trying to escape the confines of the room. I see echoes of Munch in Gág’s intense, psychological landscapes, that same feeling of being trapped in a dream. But Gág’s mark-making feels more playful, more open to possibility. Ultimately, this is what makes her work so compelling: she invites us to get lost in the process, to embrace the mystery, and to find our own way through the shadows.