The Liberation of Rome (TASS Poster 1001)

ClassificationsPrinted Materials-advertisements

Artist Pavel Sokolov-Skalia

Author Samuil Marshak

Publisher Tass News Agency

DateJune 21, 1944

Made AtMoscow, Moscow Oblast, Russia, Europe

MediumHand-painted stencil on paper

Dimensions49 1/2 × 65 1/8 in. (125.7 × 165.4 cm)

Credit LineBowers Museum Collection

Object number2019.14.5

DescriptionTitled “The Liberation of Rome” the poster was made in June 21, 1944 by artist Pavel Sokolov-Skalia and by and text by Samuil Iakovlevich Marshak. During the Second World War Skalia served as artistic director for the TASS studios. He was one of their most prolific artists completing approximately 200 posters. Marshak was a lyric poet and translator of Yiddish, Hebrew, and English texts. During the Second World War he worked on TASS posters, and often collaborated with the artistic collective Kukryniksy. The TASS News Agency, a Soviet government owned company originally formed in 1904, was the sole news outlet that had authority to gather and control information throughout the Soviet Union. Similar to Poster 1000, this poster dehumanizes the enemies (Mussolini and Hitler) by drawing inhuman features on them. The poster shows a representation of Allied forces taking Rome after slowly pushing out German and Italian forces by showing Hitler and Mussolini in togas fleeing the ruins of some Roman structure. Two bayonets with American and British flags on them are driving the dictators out, showing a support for the actions of the Allies by the Soviet Union. The text below is a twist on the saying, “All roads lead to Rome.” The author offers that the saying changes to “All roads lead to Berlin” to celebrate the Allies push of Germans back to their capital. A higher contrast in colors in this image suggests that shortages caused by the war were beginning to wind down. The poster was made on short-fibered pulp paper; similar to newspaper quality, and then a stencil cut out was used to individually paint each copy by hand. Any additional pieces were glued on top of each copy.

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