En Guerre: French Illustrators and World War I

by Neil Harris, Teri J. Edelstein

With 2014 marking the one-hundredth anniversary of the commencement of World War I, En Guerre offers a fresh, thought-provoking exploration of the impact of the Great War as viewed through the lens of French graphic illustration of the period. Published in conjunction with an exhibition of these illustrations at the University of Chicago Library’s Special Collections Research Center, this catalog draws from illustrated books, magazines, and prints to present a wide range of perspectives on themes essential to a deeper understanding of the war in patriotism, nationalism, propaganda, and the soldier’s experience, as well as the mobilization of the French national home front as seen through fashion, music, humor, and children’s literature. With a text by noted historians Neil Harris and Teri J. Edelstein and featuring more than one hundred reproductions of the vivid and colorful work of French illustrators, En Guerre reaffirms the persuasive role that art can play in the service of political and military power.

144 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 2014

Reviews

[Sean Chick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of obscure prints. I was pleasantly surprised by the variations in style, themes, and subjects.

[Timons Esaias · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an art exhibit catalog, which I picked up at a different art museum exhibit of the art of World War I. I believe it was at the Met (indeed it was, in 2017: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions... ) and there was no exhibit catalog, but this one was available. I snatched it.

This is excellent, and taught me a great deal about the design and publishing history of France in the period before, during and after the War. The objects are all French, but there is some contrasting with German and British art of the same period, especially the different emphasis. The book is also a study on the culture of the home front during a major war like this one. Notable are the changes to the Fashion industry (and the bulk of the propaganda illustrators had been working in Fashion illustration), and the way children are introduced to the War.

Also interesting was seeing how the different Fine Art movements (Cubism, Surrealism, etc.) played out in the field of illustration.

For writers, this is an excellent page-through-for-inspiration volume.

One amusement was discovering that for the French, the most interesting thing about British soldiers was the kilts of the Scots regiments. They had a tendency to put those kilts on ALL British troops.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colorful and exuberant, this introduction to the French illustrators active during World War I is surprisingly free from graphic violence (think of the children!) ... a visual delight ...