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Description: | obverse design: Death, in the form of a skeleton wearing the uniform and cocked hat of a British naval officer, standing
in a single-masted sailing vessel which is moving from left to right amidst heavily stylised waves. Death has his left arm akimbo and holds
in his right hand two flags, those of the USA and Italy. In the centre of the ship, which has an elaborate crowned eagle head stern and the
name "EDWARD GREY" in small indented characters on the bow, a top-hatted figure crouches and grips the base of the mast. Three flags, those
of the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark, fly from a rope just forward of the sail
reverse design: life-buoy, circular, the upper portions draped with rope, bearing text in indented characters, forming an ornamental edge
to the piece and enclosing eight lines of embossed text below which is a laurel branch dividing the initials "K" and "G"
reverse text: "HONI.SOIT.QVI.MAL.Y.PENSE-" (on life-buoy) & "MIT NEVTRALEN-FLAGGEN-HOHEITSGEBIETEND STELLT SICH ZVR WEHR DER-EDLE BRITE-DER
WELTMEERBEHERRSCHER NACH SEERAEVBER SITTE"
exergue: "1915"
In this 1915 satirical work Goetz condemns Sir Edward Grey (British Foreign Secretary) for his ruthless concentration
on the task of isolating and blockading Germany from supplies of food and raw materials which might have in any way assisted the the German
war effort. In particular Goetz denounces the Royal Navy's actions, as part of the 'distant' economic blockade, of stopping and searching
of neutral vessels on the high seas in the pursuit of war contraband. The reverse text is translated as 'The noble Englishman ruling the
ocean defends himself with the aid of neutral flags as is the habit of pirates'. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | satirical [mercantile marine] German Offensive against & 1914 = 1915 First World War & British Shipping | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Goetz, Karl | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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