Early Modern Art Analysis

 

Early Modern Post – The Great War's Affect on Art

Early Modern art is often defined as starting alongside one of modern history's most defining events, World War One (WWI). WWI is considered Earth's first modern war because it was the first to utilize modern weapons such as tanks, heavy artillery, aircraft, and gas weapons. The Great War, as it is often called, used a draft alongside propaganda to gain troops. Propaganda was utilized by both the Allied Powers, France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan, the United States and Central Powers, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey. The Purpose of propaganda was to encourage people to enlist in the armed forces and promote a general sense of patriotism in civilians (Lederle). Although common nowadays, posters and fliers were a relatively new way for the government to spread these ideals to people of all different educational, ethnic, social, and religious backgrounds (Lederle). Furthermore, with so many men drafted to fight, women entered the workforce in never-before-seen numbers to take over the men-oriented factory jobs that still needed to be accomplished. 

For Every Fighter, a Woman Worker by Adolph Treidler

In 1918 the American artist Adolph Treidler was commissioned by the Young Women's Christian Organization (YWCO) to create a poster with the goal of recruiting women to join in the fighting through factory work (McKee). The poster he created for the YWCO was of a female munition worker titled For Every Fighter, a Woman Worker. The woman in the 40-inches by 30-inches lithograph print is featured in a very feminine and statuesque pose. This was done intentionally to show women that, despite the difficult, physically demanding jobs they would be doing, they would still be retaining their femininity. I appreciate this image because it represents women’s growing rights on the horizon. I find the limited pallet and simple geometric designs in the poster harken to the start of graphic design started by artists of Art Nouveau and, in a minor way, Cubism in its predominantly geometric forms. Despite the simplicity of the image, there is a fair amount of detail regarding the shading, and especially the shadow the woman casts. I find this creates a great deal more depth in the image without adding unnecessary details that could take away from the overall look. Personally, I especially enjoy the lack of background as it allows viewers to focus solely on the woman and her strong but feminine stature as a worker. 

The munitions work promoted in For Every Fighter, a Woman Worker was both physically and mentally taxing and highly dangerous. The work these women did contained the inherent danger of working with heavy machinery and often involved handling explosives, poisonous gases, and other hazardous materials that they were commonly not adequately trained to use (McKee). Despite the risks, women flocked to fill the factory and agricultural jobs advertised by For Every Fighter, a Woman Worker. Women were rarely permitted to serve alongside men on the front lines. They instead sought to serve in other ways as nurses, doctors, ambulance drivers, translators, or in the agriculture or war-manufacturing industries. (Women). Women seized this time as an opportunity not only to prove themselves as workers but also to improve their rights. 

Hannah Colt Picketing the White House by Unknown Photographer

The modern feminist movement's fight for women’s rights and suffrage began in America in 1848, with the first convention organized to discuss women’s rights (Hilfrank). However, with the start of WW I in 1914, the movement's efforts were shifted in order for members to give their full attention to the war. This did not remain the case for long, however, as women internalized the encouragement for them to work outside the home. Hannah Colt was a member of the suffragette movement. In 1917, she, along with 218 other women throughout the year, were arrested for picketing outside the White House in Washington, DC (Hilfrank). It was at this time that the photograph Hannah Colt Picketing the White House was captured by an unknown individual. The women arrested faced horrific treatment from the police, being fed rotten food, kept in unsanitary conditions, and force-fed when they went on hunger strikes (Hilfrank). Nevertheless, their efforts proved worthwhile as on September 30, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson gave an address to Congress guaranteeing women’s right to vote (Wilson). During the war, Wilson expressed how women had become men’s comrades in suffering and sacrifice; because of this, they also deserved to be their partners in rights (Wilson). Unfortunately, this speech failed to inspire Congress, and the act Wilson proposed to grant women the right to vote failed, but not all was in vain, as a year later the 19^th Amendment would be passed. 

I find the photo of Hannah Colt Picketing the White House is an excellent example of the suffragist movement and the culture of the time. In the photo, Colt stands in an elegant but defiant pose dressed in a fine pale gown and hat, showing that she is undeniably feminine and strong. The angle of Colt’s body and distinctive green, white, and violet sash creates a dynamic composition when paired with the large cloth banner. I find it fascinating how Colt and the flag are presented as soft, delicate, and refined while simultaneously giving off resilient and harsh airs. The photograph is framed so that both Colt and the banner are slightly cropped, which I think makes for a more dynamic composition and helps add to the significance of both as if they are too important to fit in the area. The banner takes up a large portion of the photo, with Colt standing behind supporting it. I feel this shows how this great movement was made possible by an incredible group of women who might have been overshadowed but still helped the revolution to prevail. 

                  

Sow the Seeds of Victory by James Montgomery Flagg

Women were not only contributing to the war effort by joining the armed forces and taking up factory work. On the home front, females who remained in their home roles were asked to sign pledge cards (Women). These pledge cards said that women would be mindful of the food they were using, can food, grow their own produce in their yards, and foster the morale of their families (Women). Actions such as these were encouraged by a series of propaganda posters commissioned by the U. S. Food Administration’s Advertising Section (Sow). One of the most famous of these propaganda posters was Sow the Seeds of Victory, made by James Montgomery Flagg in 1917 while living in New York City (Flagg). Sow the Seeds of Victory was meant to reinforce how vital growing your own food could be to helping secure victory for the war. It was also meant to inspire feelings of patriotism and self-sacrifice. The fact that it asked people to volunteer to perform these acts rather than ordering them to do so was done intentionally in the hope of encouraging more people to support the acts. 

Sow the Seeds of Victory features the woman known as Columbia. Columbia is typically shown as a Romanesque-style goddess meant to physically embody the United States and its values (Columbia). Sow the Seeds of Victory is fairly traditional in its depiction of Columbia. In the image, Columbia confidently strides forward with an elegant and effortless look on her face. I think Columbia's relaxed expression is a perfect choice because it conveys the message that the work she is doing, planting her crops, is not a chore but a privilege. I find the gently swirling line of seeds that Columbia throws down very pleasing as it creates an added layer of depth to the image that reminds me of Art Nouveau's work. Both the way she casually tosses seeds and her entire form, in general, exudes an air of calm which I think was incredibly important to evoke at the time. She wears a long, flowing, classical-style dress patterned after the American flag. I feel this shows Columbia is trying to inspire patriotism. The style is meant to associate the relatively young nation with one that was once unmatched in power. A Phrygian cap rests on her head, symbolizing liberty, which I do not enjoy as I feel it somewhat takes away from the rest of her elegant form. She also wears a full face of makeup with gold eyeshadow, blush, and victory red lipstick, which I find interesting. I suspect this was intended to further reassure women they would not lose their femininity by doing such unglamorous work. In my opinion, the fact that Columbia is wearing victory-red lipstick, which women in the armed forces and at home were encouraged to wear, was meant to help create a feeling of comradery between the women assisting on the front lines and the women tending to the home front.

 

World War One’s Influence on Art

The Great War was a time in human history that shaped the art created both during and far after its end. Although several styles emerged during the war and art production never entirely ceased, traditional art took a backseat during the time of conflict. The most prominent form of art during WWI was propaganda. While propaganda often has a negative connotation, in America, most propaganda was meant to inspire and bring hope to both those at home and overseas that victory would come soon and, with it, an end to the war. The propaganda pieces were beautiful images created by numerous artists, typically as posters and postcards. Because of the medium, they were easily distributed, as was their intent. The fight for woman’s rights also did not stop when the war started. Photography gained a great deal of use during the time to capture the true horrors of war, preserve the memory of those away, and immortalize important events such as the many women’s suffrage protests and rallies. Unfortunately, many artists were killed in battle before the true potential of their work could be realized. Despite the many hardships and setbacks, some of the best, most recognizable, and influential artists of the era grew out of the horrors of war.

 

Work Cited

“Columbia,” Pritzker Military Museum and Library, https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/
explore/museum/past-exhibits/american-icons-great-war/columbia. Accessed 7 April 2023.

“For Every Fighter a Woman Worker. Care For Her Through the YWCA,” McKee Library, Southern Adventist University, https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/wwiposters/74/. Accessed 5 April 2023.

“For Every Fighter a Woman Worker. Care For Her Through the YWCA,” Museum of Modern Art, https://www.moma.org/collection/works/8942. Accessed 5 April 2023.

Hilfrank Elizabeth. “The Women's Suffrage Movement.” National Geographic Kids, https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/womens-suffrage-movement. Accessed 6 April 2023.

“James Montgomery Flagg,” Spartacus Educational, https://spartacus-educational.com/
ARTflagg.htm. Accessed 7 April 2023.

Lederle, Cheryl. “Analyzing Propaganda’s Role in World War I,” Library of Congress Blogs, May 10, 2018. https://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2018/05/analyzing-propagandas-role-in-world-war-
i/#:~:text=Propaganda%20posters%20sought%20to%20rally,a%20vast%20and%20diver
se%20nation. Accessed 5 April 2023.

“President Woodrow Wilson speaks in favor of female suffrage,” The History Network, September 28, 2020. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-woodrow-wilson-speaks-in-favor-of-female-suffrage. Accessed 6 April 2023.

“Sow the Seeds of Victory! Posters from the Food Administration During World War I,” National Archives, October 3, 2016. https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/sow-seeds. Accessed 7 April 2023.

Wassberg Johnson, Sarah “World War Wednesday: The War Garden Guyed (1918),” The Food Historian, https://www.thefoodhistorian.com/blog/category/national-war-garden-commission. Accessed 7 April 2023.

“Women in WWI,” The National WWI Museum and Memorial, https://www.theworldwar.org/learn/women#:~:text=With%20millions%20of%20men%20away,rare%20cases%2C%20on%20the%20battlefield. Accessed 5 April 2023.