Siesta 1937

Editor: Here we have Wanda Gág's "Siesta," an etching from 1937. It depicts a cozy interior scene absolutely filled with sleeping cats! There's a sort of dreamlike, surreal quality to the everyday scene. What do you see in this work, particularly when considering its historical context? Curator: Gág, as a woman artist navigating the male-dominated art world of the early 20th century, frequently infused her work with socio-political commentary, albeit subtly. While seemingly a domestic scene of tranquil cats, "Siesta" can be read as a commentary on the societal expectations placed on women: the pressure to remain passive, domestic, and quiet, much like the slumbering felines. Editor: That's a very interesting perspective. I wouldn’t have considered that angle at first glance. Are there any visual elements that specifically suggest that interpretation? Curator: The claustrophobic nature of the interior, combined with the sheer number of cats seemingly confined within it, creates a sense of stifling enclosure. The artist invites you to contemplate what it feels like to be stuck inside your own mind. The wood stove, a traditional symbol of domesticity, is imposing, dwarfing everything around it, maybe that represents male domination? Editor: I see what you mean. So, the image, beyond just being a depiction of a domestic interior with sleeping animals, offers a critical commentary on the limited roles often assigned to women during that period. The cats' apparent idleness could then be interpreted as resistance to social and economic exploitation, since they're refusing to labor in any traditionally valuable manner? Curator: Precisely. It's about unpacking the visual language to understand how Gág uses this seemingly benign scene to question patriarchal structures and the constricting nature of domesticity and the "proper" position women occupied in that context. I want to also encourage people to look for other forms of resistance that women have taken, visible and invisible, in the face of economic or emotional subjugation. Editor: That definitely gives me a lot to think about. I appreciate your insights, it completely changed my view of the print! Curator: And that's what makes engaging with art so enriching – continually reassessing our understanding of ourselves and the world around us, from an intersectional point of view.