Miscellaneous

This propaganda drawing was done first in graphite, but then inked over. It depicts a solemn Uncle Sam -- a common personification of the United States, created by James Montgomery Flagg -- observing the mistreatment and abuse of a mourning mother and child by a German officer. Uncle Sam is standing atop a rock, hands behind his back, looking toward the ground, eyes averted from the horror occurring across a river, assumed to represent the Atlantic Ocean. There lies a German soldier or officer -- shown in his military attire and helmet -- grabbing a mother who is squeezing her baby, attempting to shield it from oncoming attacks. They sit in a cemetery of sorts, cross-headstones littering the earth. Behind them, a sign labelled "Berlin" can be faintly read. The sky is cloudy, further representing the morose mood of this piece. Gibson created this image to draw attention to German mistreatment of civilians and to advocate US intervention in this issue. This can be assumed in the title of this piece, "Is It Really Getting on His Nerves?" which poses a question asking if the United States truly condones this abuse.