In America, as elsewhere, all forms of activity were announced by posters—Recruiting, Food Economy, Red Cross Work, Homes for Women in France, War Loans, the organising of Polish and Czecho-Slovak citizens,[4] all kinds of propaganda, were advertised by this means.
It is unnecessary to draw further attention to Mr. Pennell’s poster, “That Liberty shall not Perish from the Earth.” He states his own intention in designing it: “My idea was New York City bombed, shot down, burning, blown up by an enemy, and this idea I have tried to carry out.” He conveys, in an effective colour scheme, the impression of a purely imaginary air-raid—a raid that never was on sea or land—with results highly picturesque and impossible. It is to be reckoned, however, as one of the successful posters of the War.
Adolph Treidler in several designs has justified the expectations founded on his pre-war work, as will be seen from one of his posters here reproduced (illustration No. [66]). The work of Young and Morgan is worthy of the highest commendation; and for Raleigh’s steady craftsmanship and noble designs there can be nothing but praise.
VI.—OTHER COUNTRIES
To make a comprehensive survey of posters related to the War in all countries where they were issued would be a formidable task, not so much on account of the quantity of work of outstanding artistic merit, but because the range and variety of mediocre posters, which probably answered their purpose with tolerable efficiency at the moment, is so very extensive. All the nations engaged in the combat had something to proclaim in this manner, often a message of life or death, and others had much to display in propaganda posters all over the world.
Of the chief belligerents not yet mentioned, it is notable that Italy, the native home of the arts, produced few posters of the ordinary type that possessed either originality or definite individual character. The journalistic cartoon, always a powerful means of propaganda in Italy, had a great vogue in the earliest months of the war; and the most popular and able artists of the country fought for the Allied cause with an abandon and self-denial that one remembers with the warmest gratitude. In June and July, 1916, an exhibition of drawings was held at the Leicester Galleries, entitled “Italian Artists and the War.” There were several actual poster designs, but by far the larger proportion of the drawings exhibited consisted of war cartoons and caricatures akin to those of Raemaekers and Dyson, though prints from them were extensively displayed upon newspaper bills and walls in Rome and other Italian cities. Serving a double purpose, they were to this extent small posters, and cannot be dismissed without some word of the high praise due to them. Such an incessant and effective war was waged upon Germany and German ideals by these cartoons that, before Italy threw in her lot with the Allies, the Embassies of the Central Powers sought to stay their issue, and to that end prosecuted the most prolific and merciless of the cartoonists, Gabriele Galantara. Cynicism, scorn, contempt, and an utter abhorrence of Germany and all her acts are expressed in these impulsive sketches; and it is no wonder that they acted as a powerful spur upon the Italian people, showing which way led towards freedom and humanity. It would seem, however, that this great campaign, begun so early by the Italian artists before their nation was ready to participate in the struggle, and continued with a violent energy during the earliest months of Italian fighting, exhausted their resources to a considerable extent. Moreover, many of the most eminent among them—Sachetti, Oppo, Ventura, Codognato, and others—at once joined the Italian forces, mostly as combatants, and a few older men, like Pogliaghi, accompanied the armies to illustrate, in thrilling terms, the formidable achievements of their country amid the mighty fastnesses of the Tyrol. When the time arrived for the Italian Government to issue War Loan and other posters, the most capable of her designers were no longer accessible.
The experience of other nations shows that really noble posters have been produced through artists being inspired by the cause rather than as a result of their employment by the State. Italy proved no exception to this. Such of her best designers as were left still devoted their energies to the production of cartoons; and in due time others returned to their previous work, wounded, like Oppo, cartoonist of the Idea Nationale, who, when the 130th Infantry Regiment was annihilated in July, 1915, was one of the five survivors, and came back to his paper with a useless arm, to wage war as of old for land and liberty. The cartoon being thus the most natural means of propaganda in Italy, such posters of the ordinary type as were produced were, in consequence, of an extremely secondary order; so much so that, in making a selection to exhibit at the Grafton Galleries in June, 1919, the Imperial War Museum chose only eight to represent Italy, and of the eight three were posters advertising Raemaekers’ cartoons. One of these, “Neutral America and the Hun,” is reproduced in illustration [75]. Among the actual Italian examples, Barchi’s “Sotto-scrivete” and Mauzan’s “Fate tutti il vostro dovere” alone were notable.
Greece, on the contrary, showed a considerable facility in the production of war posters. But anxious as one is to consider in a favourable light whatever artistic creation emanates from the land which inspired and nourished Western art in its infancy, it is impossible to regard their war posters with anything more than an indulgent eye. Mr. Pennell, in his little book to which we have already referred, has claimed all notable productions in decorative art through the ages as posters, and would bid us look on the frieze of the Parthenon as an excellent piece of Greek poster art. It is a wild application, not to be taken too seriously. Modern art is not necessarily a development from the art of other ages; and even where the form is comparable, the purpose is widely divergent. For a vital modern art is for ever the expression of a new spirit, the revelation of a fresh aspect of life, another facet of a many-sided jewel; and it is this unexpected quality, the surprise of this revelation, which is so valuable to the world. Nothing new, nothing fresh, appeared in the Greek posters: tame and poor in line, meagre in their quality as reproductions, we must regard them as a brave attempt rather than applaud their achievement.