Description
In 1914, Poland did not exist as an independent state, and Poles around the world saw the war as an opportunity to re-establish their homeland. It was widely believed that the Allies were more sympathetic to the Polish cause, a belief confirmed by Tsar Nicholas IIs announcement in 1916 that an independent Poland was a goal of the war. In June of 1917, the French government authorized the formation of a Polish Army on French soil, the so-called Polish Army in France (also known as the Blue Army or Hallers Army). Nearly 22,000 North American men of Polish descent joined the Blue Army. Most of the recruits were recent immigrants; Polish-Americans citizens eligible to fight in the US Army were prohibited from joining the Polish Army in France. The artist W. T. Benda came from his native Poland to New York City in the late 1890s and studied with Robert Henri and Edward Penfield. A highly successful magazine illustrator, Benda was deeply committed to the Polish cause and produced posters for both Poland and America during the World Wars. This poster was one of his most popular; it shows a heroic Polish soldier, gun in hand, and dressed in the grayish-blue French uniform. The Polish eagle is shown prominently on the flag and the soldiers armband.
Details
- Work Date:
- 1917
- Location:
- Calder Gallery
- Dimensions:
- 35¾" x 26⅞"
- Medium:
- lithograph, color lithograph
- Credit Line:
- Gift of Bartlett H. Hayes, 1985