War

Patrociño Barela, War, 1942, carved and stained pine, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1985.65.9

Patrociño Barela, War, 1942, carved and stained pine, 11 ³⁄₈ x 71 x 1 ¹⁄₄ in. (28.8 x 180.4 x 3.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1985.65.9

Artwork Details

Title: War
Artist: Patrociño Barela
Date: 1942
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
/
Luce Foundation Center
/
3rd Floor
/
25B
Dimensions: 11 ³⁄₈ x 71 x 1 ¹⁄₄ in. (28.8 x 180.4 x 3.2 cm.)
Credit Line: Transfer from the General Services Administration
Mediums: pine
Mediums Description: carved and stained pine
Classifications: Sculpture
Relief
Subjects: Architecture — vehicle — airplane
Figure group — male
History — United States — World War II
Occupation — military — soldier
Object — weapon — gun
Object — other — flag
New Deal — Works Progress Administration, Federal Art Project — New Mexico
Architecture — vehicle — tank
Object Number: 1985.65.9
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.65.9

Artwork Description

Patrociño Barela brought the rough, “untaught” style of his carvings of saints to these reliefs, which read like storyboards describing the chaotic, violent events leading up to World War II. Like many American artists working in the 1930s, Barela saw the events unfolding in Europe and Asia and saw a new conflict on the horizon. Progression in War tells a story from left to right: from the head-to-head discussion between political leaders, to invasion by air and land, to violent confrontation between individual soldiers. War has a similar progression, and we can see a soldier raising the American flag on a battleground, a man being measured, and military aircraft in the skies.