Document 28.1: Third Red Cross Roll Call, ca. 1917–1918

In this American poster, the artist took a deceptively simple approach. The poster recalls the traditional image of the nun as nurse, at the same as it shifts that image in subtle ways. The central figure reaches out to the viewer in gentle supplication. Her expression is calm and steady, suggesting certainty of purpose but not aggression. Her uniform, however, resembles a bride’s dress more than a nun’s habit, with shear sleeves that emphasize the wearer’s femininity, an impression that is heightened by her long hair, which is worn down, instead of tucked up under her cap. As you look at the image, ask yourself why the artist made the choices he or she did.

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(First World War poster (color litho) American School (20th century)/Private Collection/Photo © Barbara Singer/The Bridgeman Art Library)

Questions to Consider

  1. How would you characterize the woman in the poster? In what ways does she embody early-twentieth-century feminine ideals?
  2. Why might the artist have found it necessary to underscore the fact that one could be both a young woman and a nurse?