diff --git a/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/modules/picture/components/ImageLightbox.svelte b/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/modules/picture/components/ImageLightbox.svelte
index 0700966bc..9fbd0210b 100644
--- a/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/modules/picture/components/ImageLightbox.svelte
+++ b/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/modules/picture/components/ImageLightbox.svelte
@@ -7,34 +7,40 @@
   keeps ownership because the component is typed against
   `picture.types.Image` and speaks prompt/model/dims vocabulary.
 
-  The lightbox is dumb: it accepts an optional `image` and an
-  `onClose` callback. Pass a non-null image to open, null/undefined
-  to hide. Module-specific actions (Favorit-Toggle, Archiv, Download,
-  "In Picture öffnen" …) go through the `actions` snippet so each
-  caller wires only what makes sense there. A plain backdrop click
-  and ESC both close the modal.
+  Design: borderless, image-first. The picture fills the entire
+  viewport (object-contain so aspect ratio is preserved). No card
+  chrome — the dark backdrop alone frames the image. Metadata sits
+  in the bottom-right corner as small grey text overlay so the eye
+  goes to the image first; the only persistent control is a close
+  affordance in the top-right. Module-specific buttons (Favorit /
+  Archiv / "In Picture öffnen") render in the bottom-left via the
+  `actions` snippet. Backdrop click and ESC both close.
+
+  Colour note: text uses literal white-alpha + black-alpha utilities
+  via a scoped `<style>` block instead of theme tokens. The lightbox
+  always renders against a near-black backdrop regardless of the
+  active theme, so a theme-aware muted-foreground would render too
+  dark in light themes. Matches the validator's brand-literal escape
+  hatch (see `scripts/validate-theme-utilities.mjs`).
 -->
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { formatDate } from '$lib/i18n/format';
 	import { onMount, type Snippet } from 'svelte';
-	import { SquaresFour } from '@mana/shared-icons';
+	import { SquaresFour, X } from '@mana/shared-icons';
 	import type { Image } from '../types';
 
 	interface Props {
 		/** Non-null to render, null/undefined to hide. */
 		image: Image | null | undefined;
 		onClose: () => void;
-		/** Caller-specific controls rendered to the left of "Schließen".
-		 *  Picture gallery uses this for Favorit / Archiv; wardrobe uses
-		 *  it for a deep-link to the Picture gallery. */
+		/** Caller-specific controls rendered in the bottom-left. Picture
+		 *  gallery uses this for Favorit / Archiv; wardrobe uses it for
+		 *  a deep-link to the Picture gallery. */
 		actions?: Snippet;
 	}
 
 	let { image, onClose, actions }: Props = $props();
 
-	// Escape-to-close. Rebind on mount only once — the handler itself
-	// checks `image` at call time so we don't need to wire it to the
-	// prop's lifecycle.
 	onMount(() => {
 		function onKeydown(e: KeyboardEvent) {
 			if (e.key === 'Escape' && image) {
@@ -55,62 +61,108 @@
 	<!-- svelte-ignore a11y_click_events_have_key_events -->
 	<!-- svelte-ignore a11y_no_static_element_interactions -->
 	<div
-		class="fixed inset-0 z-50 flex items-center justify-center bg-black/70 p-4"
+		class="lightbox-root fixed inset-0 z-50 flex items-center justify-center p-6 sm:p-10"
 		onclick={handleBackdropClick}
 		role="dialog"
 		aria-modal="true"
 		aria-label="Bildvorschau"
 		tabindex="-1"
 	>
-		<div
-			class="relative max-h-[90vh] w-full max-w-4xl overflow-auto rounded-xl border border-border bg-card"
-		>
-			<div class="relative flex items-center justify-center bg-black">
-				{#if image.publicUrl}
-					<img
-						src={image.publicUrl}
-						alt={image.prompt}
-						class="max-h-[60vh] w-full object-contain"
-					/>
-				{:else}
-					<div class="flex h-64 items-center justify-center">
-						<SquaresFour size={64} class="text-muted-foreground/30" />
-					</div>
-				{/if}
+		<!-- Image: fills the available area, centred, aspect-preserving. -->
+		{#if image.publicUrl}
+			<img
+				src={image.publicUrl}
+				alt={image.prompt}
+				class="block max-h-full max-w-full object-contain"
+			/>
+		{:else}
+			<div class="lightbox-empty flex h-64 w-64 items-center justify-center rounded-2xl">
+				<SquaresFour size={64} />
 			</div>
+		{/if}
 
-			<div class="p-4">
-				<p class="text-sm text-foreground">{image.prompt}</p>
-				{#if image.model}
-					<p class="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">Modell: {image.model}</p>
-				{/if}
+		<!-- Close: top-right, minimal. -->
+		<button
+			type="button"
+			onclick={onClose}
+			aria-label="Schließen"
+			title="Schließen (Esc)"
+			class="lightbox-close absolute right-4 top-4 flex h-9 w-9 items-center justify-center rounded-full"
+		>
+			<X size={18} weight="bold" />
+		</button>
+
+		<!-- Caller-supplied actions: bottom-left. -->
+		{#if actions}
+			<div class="lightbox-actions absolute bottom-6 left-6 flex gap-2">
+				{@render actions()}
+			</div>
+		{/if}
+
+		<!-- Metadata: bottom-right, small, grey. Right-aligned so the
+		     longest line (the prompt) wraps naturally toward the image
+		     edge. `pointer-events-none` keeps clicks falling through to
+		     the backdrop dismiss. -->
+		<div class="lightbox-meta pointer-events-none absolute bottom-6 right-6 max-w-md text-right">
+			<p class="lightbox-meta-prompt">{image.prompt}</p>
+			<div class="lightbox-meta-detail">
+				{#if image.model}<span>{image.model}</span>{/if}
 				{#if image.width && image.height}
-					<p class="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-						{image.width} × {image.height}
-					</p>
+					<span>{image.width}×{image.height}</span>
 				{/if}
-				<p class="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+				<span>
 					{formatDate(new Date(image.createdAt), {
 						day: 'numeric',
 						month: 'long',
 						year: 'numeric',
 					})}
-				</p>
-
-				<div class="mt-3 flex gap-2">
-					{#if actions}
-						{@render actions()}
-					{/if}
-					<div class="flex-1"></div>
-					<button
-						type="button"
-						onclick={onClose}
-						class="rounded-md border border-border px-3 py-1.5 text-sm font-medium text-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-muted"
-					>
-						Schließen
-					</button>
-				</div>
+				</span>
 			</div>
 		</div>
 	</div>
 {/if}
+
+<style>
+	/* The lightbox always renders against a literal near-black backdrop,
+	   regardless of the active theme — using theme-aware tokens here
+	   would tint or wash out unpredictably under non-dark themes. The
+	   validator's brand-literal escape hatch (see
+	   scripts/validate-theme-utilities.mjs) covers exactly this case. */
+	.lightbox-root {
+		background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.92);
+	}
+	.lightbox-empty {
+		color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25);
+		background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04);
+	}
+	.lightbox-close {
+		color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);
+		background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.08);
+		transition:
+			background-color 0.15s,
+			color 0.15s;
+	}
+	.lightbox-close:hover {
+		color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1);
+		background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.15);
+	}
+	.lightbox-meta-prompt {
+		font-size: 0.8125rem;
+		line-height: 1.4;
+		color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.55);
+	}
+	.lightbox-meta-detail {
+		margin-top: 0.25rem;
+		display: flex;
+		gap: 0.625rem;
+		justify-content: flex-end;
+		font-size: 0.6875rem;
+		color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4);
+		font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
+	}
+	.lightbox-meta-detail span:not(:first-child)::before {
+		content: '·';
+		margin-right: 0.625rem;
+		color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25);
+	}
+</style>