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                 VISUAL HISTORY OF NATIONS  9 94  Visual History of Nations












                        Poland, 1946              France, 1947               USA, 1945

                              he Statute of Kalisz is one of several series of  Dam, a modern airplane or a locomotive which
                              miniatures, the artist told the history of  opened the way for settlers to conquer the Wild
                        T events related to a historical figure or fact.  West.
                        Soon after the war, he began working on a new
                        cseries presenting a visual history of the world on a  Visual History of France,
                        commission from a Canadian collector of stamps. As  New Canaan 1947
                        many works were planned as there were countries  This work is a true mosaic of detail. The artist
                        that became part of the United Nations formed in  shows 90 coats of arms of French cities over which a
                        October 1945 upon the inspiration from the U.S.  symbol of the French Republic is placed – a tricolor
                        President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1945, Szyk  flag with the words: Freedom, Equality, Fraternity. At
                        created a visual history of the United States, and then  the bottom, two freedom fighters: a soldier from the
                        more countries: Britain, Canada, England, France,  Marine Corps of General de Gaulle's Army and a
                        China, the Soviet Union, Swiss and Poland, which  member of the resistance. Key figures from the
                        since the founding of the UN is considered to be a  history of France to Szyk were: Marquis Lafayette,
                        member of this organization, although Poles were  Jean d'Arc, playwright Moliere and scientist, founder
                        unable to attend the first conference in San Francisco  of microbiology, Louis Pasteur.
                        for political reasons. The project was never
                        completed by the artist.                 Visual History of Poland
                                                                 New Canaan 1946
                         Visual History of the United States,    The history of Poland consists of the figures of four
                         New Canaan 1945                        Polish heroes: Nicolas Copernicus, astronomer,
                          The engraving is dominated by an American eagle  Frederic Chopin, outstanding pianist and composer,
                        – a symbol of freedom and strength, which protects  as well as Kazimierz Pułaski and Tadeusz Kościuszko,
                        representatives of various races and professions  who were the heroes of two nations: Polish and
                        under its wings. Artur Szyk shows that the American  American. The Polish eagle is depicted above, albeit
                        people consists in equal measure of cowboys,  without the crown. The Polish nation is represented
                        workers, soldiers and sailors, but also black farmers  by a miner – symbol of industry – and a peasant in
                        and Native Americans. It also emphasizes the  a traditional garb. The work also features the first
                        formula: e pluribus unum (Latin for: one made of  Polish king Boleslaus Chrobry (the Brave) and coats
                        many). The main theme in America, however, is the  of arms, first and foremost the mermaid – the
                        modernity. We recognize the New York skyline, the  symbol of invincible Warsaw with a sword in her
                        Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Hoover  hand.
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