Mid Modern art

 

    For this blog, I will be talking about a couple of different art pieces that are associated with

WW2. World War 2 was the second global war dated from 1936 to 1945, and it is considered

to have started due to Germany invading Poland. WW2 involved more than 100 million

personnel from 30 different countries and included 70-85 million casualties; more civilian than

military. 


Don Allen & Fred Rice

    Planes were a huge part of the war, there were three types of aircraft used during WW2; fighter,

bombers, and transport planes. Most of the planes had their names along with a depiction of

the name painted on the nose of the plane. Don Allen from Chagrin Falls, Idaho was one of the

painters of the nose art, he was responsible for the art on Salem Representative, Boise Bee,

Miss Dallas, Blondie, My achin’ Back, and Sweet Arlene. Allen was a recent graduate of

Cleveland School of Art before becoming the official artist to these planes and became a

commercial illustrator after the war. Fred Rice was another artist he was from Alamosa,

Colorado and not much is known about him, he was responsible for the art on Shrangri-La;

one of the most famous mustang WW2 airplanes.

    My husband is a huge history buff and I have seen so many planes with nose art, and

always wondered about the artists behind them. I think it is amazing that the USAF allowed for

the aircraft to be decorated like this, it’s astonishing that throughout the years not only the

aircraft became famous but the art pieces attached to it. I really love looking at all of the art

done on these aircraft because they are so unique to each individual pilot and I feel like it

gives the aircraft personality.



Fred Rice  (artist)                        Shragrin-La


 

Don Allen (artist)                        Salem Representative                 Boise Bee

 

Miss Dallas                                    Blondie                                            My Achin' Back

Sweet Arlene

Sweet Arlene


N. C. Wyeth

    The next two paintings are from Newell Convers Wyeth, he created more than 3,000 paintings

and illustrated 112 books throughout his career. These two posters were created in 1942,

“Buy War Bonds" was created as a propaganda poster to instill the people back home with a

positive outlook about the war and to show patriotism. “Soldiers of the Soil” was created to be

part of the 1944 calendar. Wyeth specialist in posters and advertisement campaign images,

making images for Lucky Strike, Cream of Wheat, and Coca-Cola. 

    In both of these paintings we see the patriotism being asked, on the “Buy War Bond” we see “uncle sam” pointing at the viewer asking them to be part of the efforts of the war, we see the American flag on his shoulder waving against the air and aircrafts flying at high speed above his head while soldiers march into battle beneath him. On “Soldiers of the Soil” we see a line of tractors plowing soil while on top of them there are clouds of all the nations participating in the war. I feel like this painting indicated to the farmers in the nation that even though you are not a soldier in the front lines you are helping us by helping to feed us.


"Soldiers of the Soil"                "Buy War Bond" 


John W. Mills

“Monument to the Women of WW II” This monument is not directly from the WW2 era but I

chose to included it because it’s one of my favorite monuments dedicated to the dedicated

women that were involved in WW II. This monument was erected by the British government

in 2005, it is located in Whitehall in London. It is 22 ft tall, 16 long, and 6 ft wide. This beautiful

monument includes 17 sets of clothing and uniforms that women had to partake in due to the

demand the war was taking on the economy. Women had to step up and take over jobs man

had to leave to join the war.  

I really enjoy this monument because it gives thanks to all the women that left fear behind and

took over the responsibilities of her and his spouse’s job. I really admire this piece it represents

the strengths of the women of WW II.


The Women of World War II


Works Cited





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