The Call 1917

Curator: Standing before us is "The Call," a 1917 watercolor illustration by Byam Shaw. What strikes you most about it? Editor: The figures arranged in tiers—it's very stage-like, deliberately posed. They are swathed in the regalia of empire and patriotism but look distinctly uncomfortable in it. Curator: Yes, there is a sense of symbolic weight here. Notice the heraldry, from the shield's emblems representing Canada to the flag incorporating both the Union Jack and symbols of Canadian provinces. These motifs draw heavily on traditional iconography. Editor: The heavy use of symbolism almost overpowers the piece. Each figure embodies a specific idea, their expressions neutral. The artist, Byam Shaw, must have understood that imagery itself becomes a kind of political language. Curator: Absolutely. He utilizes color and form in a way that emphasizes the ideological messages he embeds. Note, for example, the way the women support and adorn the central knight-figure, literally empowering his stance. Editor: Considering this was made during World War I, the title takes on additional gravity. Is this figure being called to fight or perhaps answering an internal call to do his duty? The scene speaks volumes about how societies persuade and encourage participation in monumental national events like war. Curator: And there are the subtler invocations of Arthurian legend, the romance of self-sacrifice, courage, duty. Shaw is creating a visual link to a deep well of British mythology, almost creating a pageant rather than simply representing history. Editor: Yet that connection, precisely, might trouble viewers today. Do the glorifying of empire and idealized self-image effectively honor history? Or do they run the risk of obfuscating it for ideological purpose? Curator: These are vital considerations. And I appreciate how you underscore how our understanding is shaped both by then and our position now. Editor: Indeed. Analyzing the composition, with its combination of stylistic elements like Symbolism, genre painting, and portraiture allows a comprehensive investigation into our collective understanding.