Femininity in Propaganda: "Women and War" by Ariana

This collage is made up of images from different wars throughout history, primarily World War I and World War II. The bottom half of this collage contains images of feminine women, whom artists depict as frail and incapable. The women are constrained to traditional values and are not welcome to take part in the war or work in the factories. Above these very strict, conventional propaganda posters are those that contain a balance. Within this category, women are persuaded to aid the war; however, this is done in a subtle way by having women take jobs in factories or in the nurse corps. This shows the progression of women’s rights or it simply shows the desperate nature of people in wartime. Above these two groups stand the more modern view on women—that they are capable of any man’s job. Here, the propaganda posters highly encourage women to participate in battles, and therefore there are scenes of war mixed into the images.

Introduction

Artists use propaganda to influence viewers’ feelings and beliefs on a specific subject. In this blog, you will discover and learn about the theme—femininity of women expressed through propaganda during times of war. Within this category, women are represented in two different ways: some artists have a feminine approach and value the traditional duties of women in war, whereas other images exhibit women as powerful and capable of taking over a man’s profession. Rosie the Riveter by Norman Rockwell, Miliciana de Waswalito by Orlando Valenzuela, Enlist by Fred Spear, Destroy this Mad Brute—Enlist by H.R. Hopps, and Keep These Hands Off by Gordon K. Odwell all follow the relative norms of society to convey the artists' view on women's femininity.

Link to "Female Roles Through Art"

Camille’s blog “Female Roles Through Art” explores the progression of female roles in society from the washhouse to the work force. The blog fights the typical stereotypes on women and shows the strength and power of the female gender. This blog relates to “Femininity in Propaganda” because femininity is relative to women’s roles.

The first artwork in the her blog, The Washer Women by Abram Efimovich Arkhipov, was painted in 1899 and therefore the women in the image were portrayed as feminine. The women are working in the washhouse, as they are only allowed to do traditional work. This is similar to Enlist by Fred Spear and Keep These Hands Off by Gordon K. Odell, two paintings whose primary focus is traditional work; however, instead of women working in the washhouse, the women are caring for children. Nevertheless, women’s roles of the time shaped the artists idea of how “feminine” a woman should be. The image Rosie the Riveter (1943) by Norman Rockwell was used in both blogs. In “Female Roles Through Art” the artwork is used to show the increase in women’s power; in other words, women are not seen as solely feminine, but are now accepted in a man’s profession. Women’s roles directly affect how feminine women will be viewed by artists and the outside world.

Link to "Women and Children in War"

This blog is very similar to Joy’s blog "Women and Children in War." "Women and Children in War" focuses on the people behind the scenes of war, those who are generally overseen due to their “inability” to fight: women and children. The artworks concentrate on the emotions of women and children, as well as a mother’s obligation to her children when the husband is at war. In "Femininity in War", three pieces also focus on a women’s duty to her children. The two blogs center on this single tradition of women—caring for children.

Enlist by Fred Spear is connected to a work in Joy’s blog—The Mothers by Kathe Kollwitz. In The Mothers, several women huddle together to protect their children from attack. The children remain underneath the protection of their mothers. This is related to the mother in Enlist, who cling to her young baby as they gradually sink to their death. The women only think about the safety of their children. The artists of both works show that despite the current war, the perpetual duty of a mother to her child still exists. The themes of the both blogs highlight the life of a mother, her will to do her work instead of joining the war and its continuous existence in times of war.

"Women and War" by Ariana

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