Selma Lagerlof Home 1926

Editor: This is J. J. Lankes’ woodcut, "Selma Lagerlof Home," created in 1926. The high contrast between light and dark areas gives the image a striking quality, almost like a photograph negative. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: The woodcut as a medium is so interesting. Look at how Lankes leverages it to depict not just the form of the house, but also the labor involved in building and maintaining such a grand estate. The textures he achieves through carving—the roof tiles, the grass—all speak to the process. It becomes a commentary on class and ownership through the very act of making the image. Editor: So, the labor isn't just represented in the subject matter, but also in the creation of the artwork itself? Curator: Precisely. The sharp, deliberate cuts of the woodblock emphasize the hand of the artist, engaging directly with the material in a way that mirrors the construction of the house. It moves beyond a simple landscape. How does this detailed attention to material and process shift our understanding of 'home'? Does it become less about warmth and more about production? Editor: That makes me consider how woodcuts were often used for mass production; it almost democratizes the image of this very non-democratic space. Does that reading make sense in terms of materialist interpretation? Curator: Absolutely. It invites a consideration of accessibility and circulation. By creating this image as a print, Lankes makes this elite space, Lagerlof’s home, reproducible and distributable, raising questions about visibility and ownership. It's not just about seeing the home, but about how we see it and who gets to see it. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered before; examining the means of production as a critical part of the message itself. I'll definitely be thinking more about the materiality of art moving forward! Curator: Indeed, it shows us how intertwined material choices are with the broader social fabric.