The Modern Serpent in the Garden, by Nelson Harding, pen and ink on paper. Collection of the Sarjeant Gallery. Photo/Supplied
With Anzac Day only a week behind us and with the commemorations of the 100 year anniversary of the start of World War I underway it seems the perfect opportunity to share information about the exceptional collection of cartoons held by the Sarjeant Gallery.
Dating from World War I, and
dealing with the politics of the war and its social impacts, this group of original cartoons were sourced from international newspapers, from Australia to Europe and the United States and most entered the collection in 1917 and 1918.
Cartoons acted as an important part of the propaganda machine during the war. Each side used image, text and wit to expose the methods and objectives of the major players, to turn public opinion to their cause and weaken the resolve of the enemy.
This cartoon, by Nelson Harding (1879-1944) from the United States, exposes these tactics while also employing them. German propaganda is compared to the biblical snake in the Garden of Eden, tempting the public with an apple infected with "pessimism". These cartoons deal in tropes and symbols easily understood; the serpent is a well-known story and with its spiked head, reminiscent of the German military helmet, the identity of the snake is clear.
Although we do not know exactly where and when this cartoon was published, we do know that Harding was a Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and that the work must date from around 1917. It is hoped this cartoon, and others from the collection, will be displayed at the Sarjeant Gallery as part of the World War I centenary celebrations.
