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Description: | whole: the image and text are integrated, with the title top left, and the subtitle bottom right.
image: a French soldier his left arm outstretched above his head and looking over his shoulder.
text: On les aura!
2E EMPRUNT DE LA DÉFENCE NATIONALE
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Abel Faivre 1916
DEVAMBEZ IMP. PARIS
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‘On les Aura’ is the most famous French poster of the First World War. Created in 1916, it quotes General Philippe
Pétain's words at the battle of Verdun, fought that year.
The pose of Faivre’s ‘poilù’ echoes that of François Rude’s 'Victory', on the Arc de Triomphe, and also his later sculpture of Napoleonic
hero Marshal Ney. In casting a common soldier as Victory, Faivre invoked the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity which lay at
the heart of French Republic. He created a powerful patriotic image, alluding to past military glories but rooted firmly in the ongoing
conflict.
Faivre initially had difficulty finding the right model for his poster, even amongst the many troops waiting to embark at the Gare de l’Est
in Paris. The first soldier he chose, a former waiter, was worried about being recognised: Faivre sent him away with a tip. His second
sitter proved less bashful.
Originally an advertisement for the Second National Defence Loan, the image would reappear in many forms. It was re-used by the French,
plagiarised in Italy, and adapted by the United States during the Second World War for the 1943 poster ‘We have just begun to
Fight!’. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | France Weapons Military Personnel WW1 French Home Front Home Front war loans / savings First World War 2nd National Defence Loan 1916 civilian effort WW1 French 2nd National Defence Loan | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Devambez Imprimerie, Paris | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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