Joseph P. Ansell
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781874774945
- eISBN:
- 9781789623314
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781874774945.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter examines Arthur Szyk's career as a political caricaturist during World War II. In less than four months, since the September 1939 German invasion of Poland, Szyk had created a ...
More
This chapter examines Arthur Szyk's career as a political caricaturist during World War II. In less than four months, since the September 1939 German invasion of Poland, Szyk had created a significant number of images directed against the Nazi aggressors. The range of subjects treated in these works is broad. There are the expected caricatures of Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders, ridiculing them and indicting their ideas and actions. Others depict Nazi ‘types’, anonymous members of the Schutzstaffel (SS) or the war staff; they are shown as brutal and unthinking, with an air of superiority that is patently false and hollow. These images express the trenchant political invective associated with caricature. Yet there is another group of works which, although in the same style as the caricatures, might best be described as political drawings. This significant portion of Szyk's images concentrates on Polish citizens and their struggle to survive.Less
This chapter examines Arthur Szyk's career as a political caricaturist during World War II. In less than four months, since the September 1939 German invasion of Poland, Szyk had created a significant number of images directed against the Nazi aggressors. The range of subjects treated in these works is broad. There are the expected caricatures of Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders, ridiculing them and indicting their ideas and actions. Others depict Nazi ‘types’, anonymous members of the Schutzstaffel (SS) or the war staff; they are shown as brutal and unthinking, with an air of superiority that is patently false and hollow. These images express the trenchant political invective associated with caricature. Yet there is another group of works which, although in the same style as the caricatures, might best be described as political drawings. This significant portion of Szyk's images concentrates on Polish citizens and their struggle to survive.
Joseph P. Ansell
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781874774945
- eISBN:
- 9781789623314
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781874774945.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter focuses on Arthur Szyk's work on behalf of Jewish rights and the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. After the war, Szyk continued and increased his work on behalf of Jewish ...
More
This chapter focuses on Arthur Szyk's work on behalf of Jewish rights and the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. After the war, Szyk continued and increased his work on behalf of Jewish groups. Now that the Axis powers had been defeated, he could focus his political activism on his people once again. The political drawings from this period deal with two related subjects: the plight of the homeless Jews of Europe, and the collusion between Britain and the Arab nations in preventing the creation of a Jewish state. Britain had backed away from its earlier commitment, outlined in the Balfour Declaration, and Szyk felt it should be held publicly responsible. Many of these drawings, like those on Jewish topics that appeared during the war, portray young, vigorous Jewish soldiers, fighting for their rights rather than meekly accepting their fate.Less
This chapter focuses on Arthur Szyk's work on behalf of Jewish rights and the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. After the war, Szyk continued and increased his work on behalf of Jewish groups. Now that the Axis powers had been defeated, he could focus his political activism on his people once again. The political drawings from this period deal with two related subjects: the plight of the homeless Jews of Europe, and the collusion between Britain and the Arab nations in preventing the creation of a Jewish state. Britain had backed away from its earlier commitment, outlined in the Balfour Declaration, and Szyk felt it should be held publicly responsible. Many of these drawings, like those on Jewish topics that appeared during the war, portray young, vigorous Jewish soldiers, fighting for their rights rather than meekly accepting their fate.
