The Fitzwilliam Museum - United Defence against Aggression (England and France

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Portfolio. United Defence Against Aggression. The Great War: Britain's Efforts and Ideals: The Ideals. Portfolio of 12 prints. Jackson, F. Ernest (British, 1872â1945). Ministry of Information. Two female figures in medieval dress in a flower-strewn landscape representing in red, England (crowned and drawing a sword marked with the cross of St. George) and in green, France who fends off the large black eagle of Germany which assaults them from the sky. The outline of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris is seen in the distance on the right. The composition references two pendant works by French artist, Puvis de Chavannes, _Le Ballon_ (1870) and _Le Pigeon_ (1871), each featuring single female figures, which were created as a response to the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71, specifically the Siege of Paris, which lasted from 19 September 1870 to 28 January 1871, during which carrier pigeons and balloons were the only methods of communication available to the besieged French. The works by Puvis were well known through lithographic reproductions created by Emile Vernier and published by Lemercier & Cie. The female figure 'France' in Jackson's design combines the backward-facing pose with the right arm stretched backwards of the female figure of _Le Ballon_ and the defence against the airborne hawk seen in _Le Pigeon_, a detail which becomes the German Imperial eagle in Jackson's image. Contained along with 12 lithographs inside a large portfolio of brown paper. A large sheet with a central, red-printed rectangular box containing the stamp of the Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (George V) as used by HM Government followed by the title, 'THE GREAT WAR: / BRITAIN'S EFFORTS / AND IDEALS / shown in a series of lithographic prints' / THE IDEALS / 1. FRANK BRANGWYN ... 12. EDMUND J. SULLIVAN'. The capital 'A' printed at lower left is the insignia of the printers of the series, The Avenue Press. This is also seen on the label affixed to the mounts. The central box of the title page is pasted onto the front flap of the portfolio. Lithography, 1917.
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