DescriptionArthur Szyk (1894-1951). The Germain 'Authority' in Poland (1939), London.jpg
English: This striking image of skull-headed Death as a Nazi soldier was an oft-repeated visual phrase for Szyk. Poland, the first to be cut down by the power of the German scythe was particularly familiar with the Grim Reaper. Hundreds of thousands of Poles, both Gentile and Jewish perished during Hitler’s Reign of Terror.
Date
Source
The Arthur Szyk Society, Burlingame, CA (www.szyk.org)
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This immediately recognizable image of Death as a Nazi soldier was an oft-repeated visual phrase for Szyk. The arrogant grimace of Fascist authority was perfectly suited to the icon of Death. They were star-crossed playmates. Poland, the first to be cut down by the power of the German scythe was particularly familiar with the Grim Reaper. Hundreds of thousands of Poles, both Gentile and Jewish perished during Hitler’s Reign of Terror.There is a unique feature to this particular rendering in the presence of casual watercolor smears from Szyk’s paintbrushes. Rather than detracting from the graphic horror of the image, they act as a subtle reminder of the everyday acts that accompany such violence. Arthur Szyk had lived the majority of his life in the presence of war and murder. He learned to cope with the duality, moving from a holocaust drawing to a fairy tale painting within the space of the same afternoon. One can view this as a slice of that fertile life.HISTORICANA__4X5_97