Propaganda Art

Sep 30, 2011 by

If you are looking to find the type of art that tends to be the most influential, then look no further than propaganda art.  This type of art is designed to be seen by the masses and the main intent for its creation is to influence individuals’ ideas and beliefs about an issue.  It’s main purpose is to tug at the emotional strings inside of us all which allows for our rational thoughts to become overwhelmed by our feelings.  

Propaganda is nothing new.  It has been around long before Medieval periods of time.  Some of the most memorable propaganda for many in the United States though started with World War II.  Let’s take a look at some of the most memorable pieces of propaganda.

This depiction of good old Uncle Sam calling the men to action for the US Army is one that we have seen many, many times in our lives.  When I was working on my human services degree one of my psychology courses spent an entire week analyzing this image and its effect on people, especially men during WWI and WWII.  This was created by J.M. Flagg in 1917.

The “We Can Do It” poster by J. Howard Miller was created to empower women who went to work in the factories as men were off fighting in WWII.  The image is still used today as a symbol of women’s strength and value to the economy.

This is another propaganda piece my J.M. Flagg from the year 1918.  It celebrates the fact that the United States and Britain were allies during WWI.  Uncle Sam and the eagle obviously are representing the United States, and the lion and Brittania are symbols of Britain.

Victory, or war, gardens were grown at homes and parks all over the United States to reduce pressure of food supplies.  All of the propaganda to encourage citizens to grow the gardens made people feel patriotic because their efforts made a difference.