Wanda Gag: A Unique Twist on American Modernism

Wanda Gag was about ten years younger than Edward Root, and they came from entirely different backgrounds. Root was born in exclusive Southampton, New York, while Wanda Gag in little known New Ulm, Minnesota. Root grew up in one of the most prestigious American families of the time. His father was a member of Congress and was even offered the opportunity to run for president. However, Wanda Gag was one of seven children in a middle-class family. Her first artistic inspiration came from her father, who ran a photography studio and decorated houses and churches.¹ At age 14, her father died of tuberculosis and her mother grew sick, forcing her to take responsibility of her six younger siblings. Gag supported her family by selling drawings and greeting cards, displaying an early artistic interest.² After graduating from St. Paul Art School in 1913, which is now the Minnesota Museum of American Art, Gag began sketching for children's books and eventually began writing her own. Gag's most famous book is Millions of Cats, published in 1928 and named a Newbery Honor Book the following year.³ In her twenties, she moved to a country house in Connecticut, and later to a farm in New Jersey. The influence of country life and agriculture are present in all of her artwork where she excelled in displaying nature's beauty, captured in the photograph-like appearance of her black and white sketches.

There are two pieces by Wanda Gag featured in the exhibition, Snowy Fields and Tumbled Timbers. In Snowy Fields, Gag's objective is to display the harmony of nature. The lithograph displays Gag's characteristic use of line in the zigzag pattern of the fields. There is also a more subtle use of traditional perspective, as the fields seem to vanish at a similar point. These two effects, which Gag often used, add to the appearance of expanse and a greater use of space. The creation of space provides an appreciation of nature's grandeur. The stump at the bottom is the focal point. It is proportionally larger than the other images and is drawn with significantly more detail. The use of a stump as the focal point displays the destructive capabilities of human nature, and may be a hidden message to warn against future attempts to control nature. The drawing is likely a direct influence of her time spent in the country, in which she captures the exquisite beauty of the countryside during the winter.

Tumbled Timbers was drawn on sandpaper, an unusual technique that creates a lacy appearance. The focus in the drawing is the tin-roofed house, which is encircled by an overgrowth of foliage. A tin roof emphasizes weather through amplification, and provides residents a constant reminder of nature's presence. The importance of the foliage is demonstrated by its greater detail. The circle that the foliage provides creates the appearance of an eerie face. The two windows represent eyes, the lower tin roof a nose, the dark area surrounding the doors a mouth, and the bottom foliage a beard. The presence of the two doors and window at the foot of the house, enclosed by the picket fence, resembles a cemetery. The meaning of these images is unclear, although they could represent the long lost existence of humanity in the house, which has now been overtaken by nature. They could also represent the face of Mother Nature, who has re-established her hold on the land. The drawing can be split into two parts, emphasized by the right and left sides leaning in opposite directions. This effect of using opposite angles to split the picture is present in a number of Gag's drawings. It represents the tension created by the growing disconnect between man and nature. Tumbled Timbers is one of the few remaining works of art in the Hamilton collection originally owned by Edward Root. It reflects both Gag's appreciation for nature and her realization of its fragile existence.