Untitled 1944

This untitled piece was made in 1944 by the Soviet artistic collective, Kukryniksy. The image presents a satirical caricature of Hitler as the King of Spades. The cartoon employs visual codes understood in the cultural context of the Second World War: Hitler's early territorial ambitions are represented by the globe he holds, whilst his authority is symbolized by the sceptre. This is undermined by the second figure of Hitler at the bottom of the card, torn apart and defeated. The dates 1941 and 1944 mark the beginning of the Eastern Front and the year that the Soviet Union began to push German forces out of its territory. The work offers a critical commentary on the destructive ambitions of the Third Reich, and the institutional narratives surrounding the conflict. Historical sources help us understand the public role of such imagery, and the social conditions in which it was produced.