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Description: | obverse design : Pope Benedict XV, standing facing right in a fishing boat, holding a net part of which is in the water.
To the right of the Pope, in the stern of the vessel, a kilted Scottish soldier, symbolising Britain, sits facing left. The soldier rests
his right arm on the Pope's left shoulder and steadies a large sack, marked "0000$", with his left
obverse text : "ANBIEDERVNG 1914"
reverse design : Pope Benedict XV sitting on a throne facing right. In the upper right background Death, personified by a skeleton holding
a scythe over its left shoulder, sitting facing right on the back of a bull. To the right of the Pope a tablet marked "BENEDICTVS XV" and
at its base a dove
reverse text : "MEIN.REICH.IST.NIT VON.DIESER.WELT"
This early First World War satirical piece by Goetz was possibly motivated by Pope Benedict XV's efforts to prevent
Italy joining the belligerents and his November 1914 encyclical calling for a negotiated peaceful settlement to the war. The artist imputes
charges of corruption in British dealings with the Papacy and suggests a relationship based on collusion rather than the principles of the
founder of the Christian faith. The obverse text is translated as 'Uninvited introduction' and reverse text as 'My kingdom is not of this
world'. Typically Goetz has perceived another 'enemy' plotting Germany's demise and his ridiculous caricature of the kilted Scottish
soldier representing 'Great Britain' parallels similar grotesque personifications as employed by the contemporary German satirical
journal, 'Simplicissimus'. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | satirical Benedict XV racial stereotypes First World War & Papal Impartiality & 1914 propaganda | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Goetz, Karl | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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