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 38711 14 in. (28.8180.43.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1985.65.9

Artwork Details

Title
War
Date
1942
Dimensions
11 38711 14 in. (28.8180.43.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Transfer from the General Services Administration
Mediums
Mediums Description
carved and stained pine
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — military — soldier
  • History — United States — World War II
  • Figure group — male
  • Object — weapon — gun
  • Object — other — flag
  • New Deal — Works Progress Administration, Federal Art Project — New Mexico
  • Architecture — vehicle — tank
  • Architecture — vehicle — airplane
Object Number
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.

Works by this artist (7 items)

Louis Maurer, Nathaniel Currier, Mac, 1853, hand-colored lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Museum of American History, Division of Graphic Arts, Smithsonian Institution, 1973.122.35
Mac
Date1853
hand-colored lithograph on paper
Not on view
Louis Maurer, Nathaniel Currier, Stamboul, ca. 1852-1884, hand-colored lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Museum of American History, Division of Graphic Arts, Smithsonian Institution, 1973.122.22
Stamboul
Dateca. 1852-1884
hand-colored lithograph on paper
Not on view
Louis Maurer, Nathaniel Currier, Preparing for Market, 1856, hand-colored lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of International Business Machines Corporation, 1966.48.37
Preparing for Market
Date1856
hand-colored lithograph
Not on view
Louis Maurer, Nathaniel Currier, The Last Shot, 1858, hand-colored lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Museum of American History, Division of Graphic Arts, Smithsonian Institution, 1973.122.38
The Last Shot
Date1858
hand-colored lithograph on paper
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Edward Sachse, Smithsonian Institute, ca. 1855, hand-colored lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Al Marzorini in honor of Harry Lowe, 2019.23
Smithsonian Institute
Dateca. 1855
hand-colored lithograph
Not on view
Marching As to War
Daten.d.
color etching
Not on view
Pharoh’s Horses
Artist
Unidentified (British)
Daten.d.
engraving
Not on view
Jakob Steinhardt, Untitled, n.d., etching, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Adelyn D. Breeskin, 1970.61
Untitled
Daten.d.
etching
Not on view