WWI French Poster for Russian Prisoner of War Relief by Theophile Steinlen 30-3/4 Inches by 44-1/2 Inches

The large poster bears the declaration of “Sur La Terre Ennemie Les Prisonniers Russes Meurent De Faim” (“On The Enemy’s Land Russian Prisoners Die Of Hunger”). The poster was mounted on linen at some point many years ago. The poster shows age toning as is typical with many French posters of World War I, which were printed on a wartime quality paper. The poster has a tear of approximately 10 inches in from the edge. The edges of the poster show some chips. The poster also has a moisture stain which is actually far more visible on the back, linen, side of the poster, since the design of the poster effectively conceals the moisture stain, and the poster retains dramatic impact. On the reverse top edge are two squares of archival tape which were at one time used to secure the poster to a piece of mat board. An example of this same poster is contained within the collection of the Imperial War Museum, which describes it as follows: “The image occupies the whole, with the title integrated and positioned across the top quarter, in black. image: a scene of an outdoor prison camp in the snow, framed by the struts of a wooden notice-board incised with the poster’s message. In the foreground two gaunt soldiers in Russian Army caps huddle together. One stares accusingly out at the viewer, the other looks blank, hands clenched to his mouth. Behind them a tall barbed wire fence stretches across the poster. Beyond the fence three Nissen-style huts are visible. On the right a group of prisoner labourers marches alongside the fence and a smaller group of Russian soldiers waits in the snow. text: SUR LA TERRE ENNEMIE LES PRISONNIERS RUSSES MEURENT DE FAIM Steinlen 1917”.