American Troops in France
These French printed toiles, or textiles, based on traditional French printed Toiles de Jouy, were intended to boost patriotism during World War I and incorporate various nationalistic and victorious symbols with roots in ancient classicism. These motifs—wreaths and trophies of weapons for victory, the fasces for strength in numbers, Phrygian caps for freedom, cockerels for France, and Marianne (the classically dressed Athena-like figure, the personification of the French people) for reason and liberty—are rendered in a manner both up-to-date and traditional, making them topical and movingly nostalgic.
Artwork Details
- Title: American Troops in France
- Designer: Unknown Designer
- Date: 1916–18
- Medium: Linen and cotton
- Dimensions: 32 × 23 3/4 in. (81.3 × 60.3 cm)
- Classification: Textiles-Printed
- Credit Line: Gift of Frances Morris, 1946
- Object Number: 46.35.5
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
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Unknown Designer
1931
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1973
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Unknown Designer
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