The Firefly
1964
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
color etching and aquatint
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1980.45.1530
Art Historical Context
Frank Wright's *The Firefly* (1964) is a captivating color etching and aquatint the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection, showcasing the artist's mastery of printmaking techniques during the mid-20th. Created in an era when American printmakers were pushing boundaries with innovative color processes, this work exemplifies the precision and vibrancy possible in intaglio printing. Etching involves biting lines into a metal plate with acid, while aquatint subtle tonal gradations through a powdered resin ground, allowing Wright to evoke luminous effects—perhaps the ethereal glow suggeste...