Victime

Stanley William Hayter, Victime, 1943-1946, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1980.137.34
Copied Stanley William Hayter, Victime, 1943-1946, oil on canvas, 36 x 60 in. (91.5 x 152.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1980.137.34

Artwork Details

Title
Victime
Artist
Date
1943-1946
Location
Dimensions
36 x 60 in. (91.5 x 152.4 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
  • Figure
  • State of being — evil — violence
Object Number
1980.137.34
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1980.137.34

Artwork Description

Stanley William Hayter traveled to Spain in 1937 and created several images capturing the horrors of the Spanish civil war. Here, a skeletal figure lies with splayed limbs on what appears to be a river of blood. The sickle shape in the background may represent the Socialist Workers’ Party, which was one of the largest political parties in Spain and embroiled in the civil war. The dark lines of the figure’s bones and the colors around it imply violent movement, creating a disturbing image of the brutality of war.