Simplicissmus
Originally a satirical leftist journal, Simplicissimus became fiercely nationalist once the war began. This cover image, On the Marne (Un der Marne), from Simplicissimus, vol. 13, June 25, 1918, refers to the second German offensive launched on the Marne, in the summer of 1918. The female figure in a Phrygian cap represents Marianne, a symbol of France, slumping over a casket with a dead rooster, another Gallic sign, and floating on a river of blood against a dark sky. Despite the suggestion of French slaughter, the battle was a profound defeat for the Germans.
Artwork Details
- Title: Simplicissmus
- Illustrator: Thomas Theodor Heine (German, Leipzig 1867–1948 Stockholm)
- Publisher: Albert Langen Verlag
- Date: April 1918 to September 1918
- Medium: Lithograph
- Classification: Books
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1964
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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