Ontwerp voor een politieke spotprent op de Eerste Wereldoorlog 1887 - 1919

Albert Hahn made this political cartoon about World War I using pencil. The approach to mark making is very direct with clear, concise lines, which contributes to its strong message. The drawing shows two figures standing on what appears to be a battlefield littered with bodies and skulls. The one in uniform gestures out towards the field, while the other figure, cloaked and wearing a spiked helmet, is turned away as if detached from the scene. I think what strikes me is the contrast between the clean lines of the figures and the chaotic, scribbled background that suggests the devastation of war. The texture created by the pencil is stark, which gives the image a raw, immediate feel. It reminds me of the work of artists like Otto Dix, who used a similar visual language to convey the horrors of war, but with an added layer of grotesque humor. Ultimately, Hahn’s cartoon is a powerful statement about the detachment of those in power from the human cost of conflict.