Eagle 1935 - 1942

Curator: This watercolor drawing, simply titled "Eagle," dates from somewhere between 1935 and 1942, and its creator is, unfortunately, anonymous. Editor: Wow. It's so…brown. And flat. But there's something regal about the pose, even though the colours are pretty muted. Almost sepia-toned. It's an "eagle of the people," not of the elites. You know what I mean? Curator: In what sense? Are you responding to its folksy, unpretentious rendering? The artist isn't necessarily seeking photorealism. They're presenting an idea, a symbol perhaps intentionally democratic, that might engage sociological and artistic currents that run counter to more classical approaches that emphasize power and prestige. Editor: Exactly! It feels homespun, but then there's the banner... What would it have said? It's incomplete and that blankness… is that supposed to give us room to write our own manifesto? The star looks almost Soviet somehow. An everyman symbol. Curator: Well, consider the historical context. The late 1930s and early 40s witnessed complex global sociopolitical struggles. Perhaps this unfinished banner symbolizes a nation's still-evolving identity and the ideological tensions simmering beneath the surface of the artwork at this time, when global war framed everything. This might relate to issues of nationalism. What happens when symbols we expect to unite us expose unseen fissures instead? Editor: That gives it an entirely new spin! I saw understated. You saw loaded! What I took as naivete might be a commentary. A slightly worried looking, "what are we even standing for anymore?" kind of patriotic eagle, not the chest-thumping kind. Curator: I agree! It prompts reflection on the intersection of national symbols, social anxieties, and artistic expression during a tumultuous era. The symbolism we project upon it will keep evolving. Editor: Totally. It makes you consider how artists make meaning by deconstructing visual cultural conventions. It’s fascinating how art morphs over time as viewers’ perspectives evolve too. I dig it!