Case Study One: Mihály Biró's May 1st, 1919 and Egon Schiele's Fighter
In light of this project’s goal of trying to make sense of propaganda by looking past its intended political message, case study one focuses on artistic elements in the works below. On the left is the so-called Red Man in Mihály Biró's propaganda poster named 1919 Május 1 or, in English, May 1st, 1919. On the right is Egon Schiele's Expressionist painting named Fighter.
The main argument this case study makes is that Mihály Biró uses Expressionist techniques in his propaganda poster to connect with his audience: just as Egon Schiele does in his painting, Biró uses the body language, an implied sense of motion, and facial expressions of his subject to encourage his audience to reflect on the feelings and inner life of that subject.
Because case study one interprets visual works of art, it makes its argument primarily visually through the interactive comparisons below. Click the buttons below for comparisons that summarize visual elements both works share. Pay attention to both interactive windows as they zoom into and markup relevant sections of their works of art. Small popup windows offer comments summarizing the point the comparison is making about both works of art. For a more detailed analysis, click the Analysis and Interpretation link in the menu above.
May 1st, 1919 by Mihály Biró1
Fighter by Egon Schiele2
References
1. Mihály Biró, 1919 Május 1, The Museum of Modern Art, retrieved October 14th, 2023, https://www.moma.org/collection/works/133911?artist_id=36589&page=1&sov_referrer=artist.
2. Egon Schiele, Fighter, WikiArt.org, retrieved November 22nd, 2023, https://www.wikiart.org/en/egon-schiele/fighter-1913.