WWII Anti-Nazi Poster - Jimmy Stewart's Sister, ca. 1942

It's the beginning of WWII, and the Nazi war machine is on the move. For an anti-Nazi poster competition, female illustrator Mary Stewart chooses a very young "Hitler Youth" whose individual identity is hidden because he symbolizes the heinous Nazi potential.
The subject is at full attention in uniform, holding a menacing rifle with a bayonet to drive home a message. His uniform and helmet are oversized, suggesting he will grow into them.
The point Stewarts makes is that children are the future, and this is what the future will look like if we do not stop them.
This painting is intended to elicit a strong emotional response from viewers and to call for action for the country.
Mary Stewart - ( American, 1912–1977 )
Charcoal and Gouache on Illustration Board
17 - 13 in
US$10,000 Plus Shipping

Mary Stewart, the sister of acting legend and American WWII hero Jimmy Stewart, was created as part of a World War II-era poster art design competition.
EXHIBITED:
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, "National War Poster Competition," 1942;
Jimmy Stewart Museum, Indiana, "Another Wonderful Life: the Art of Mary Stewart Exhibit," May-August, 2023.
The work won first price at a juried exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with stiff competition from artists such as Charles Addams, Saul Steinberg, and Peter Arno.
Provenance: and text description by Heritage
Unframed but Matted - Mat Size 19 x 14.75
Mary Stewart worked for Charm Magazine in New York
While in New York City, Mary Stewart was also teaching at the Art Students League