Ragnar Axelsson

Magnum Square Print: Ragnar Axelsson

Sale launches Monday, March 23, 09:00 a.m. EDT.
Description

An old woman’s house burned down. Sermiligaaq, Greenland, 1997.


“A small house in Sermiligaaq had burned to the ground in half an hour — an electrical fire. The village water tank was empty, and the pump was broken. Nothing could be done, although the locals tried to save the house — the home of an old woman, her son, and his wife. I had photographed the woman in her house the day before, but by the small hours of that morning, only debris remained. A black dog roamed the ruins, a sort of symbol for the tragedy of the situation. Fire had spread through the house and all of the family’s
belongings were destroyed — almost everything that held memories.


“The woman would sit for hours and watch village life through her window; now she had no home and instead had to crowd in with family members. She gazed into the distance, where her living room had once been, while a young woman brushed her long hair.


“The woman milled about the ruins. She had lost all her worldly possessions, but her family was safe and that’s all that mattered. Not long before, another house in the village had burned down. That fire killed three people, one of them a child.”

© Ragnar Axelsson / The Photographers' Gallery

This print is hand-signed on an archival label to ensure authenticity and preservation, which is affixed to the back of the print.

The edition is available for purchase between:


Monday, March 23, 09:00 a.m. EDT
to Sunday, March 29, 11:59 p.m. EDT
All Magnum Square Prints come with a choice of three framing options: our standard custom wooden frame in black or white, or a new premium walnut frame.

Our premium walnut frames feature plexiglass on both sides, showcasing the signature label via a cutout on the rear. All of these contemporary custom frames are hand-crafted by expert framers.
In partnership with The Photographers' Gallery

Square Print Sale: Odyssey

Magnum Photos partners with The Photographers’ Gallery for the March 2026 Square Print Sale, Odyssey. Odyssey is more than a journey — it is a search for meaning, a crossing of thresholds, a story of growth and resilience. It is the pull of the unknown: the road ahead, the distance behind, the moments that change us along the way.


Spanning continents and decades, Odyssey traces both physical and emotional paths, from epic migrations to quiet reckonings of the self. Moving through borders, memory, and time, the collection reflects the enduring power of photography to bear witness, to connect personal stories with larger histories, and to illuminate the journeys that shape who we are, and what we come to understand.


Over 100 signed or estate-stamped, museum-quality 6x6” prints will be available online for one week, priced from $110/£110/€120.

The Odyssey Square Print Sale runs Monday, March 23 at 9 a.m. ET and ends Sunday, March 29 at 11:59 p.m.

BROWSE THE FULL COLLECTION