wartime caricaturist	[USHMM #93866/Rinjiro Sodei, Japan; Original materials: Watercolor, gouache, graphite, and ink on paper; Original dimensions: 8" x 7 1/4" ] Anti-Christ, 1942 exhibition tour To further examine the artwork above: Make a rectangle or click on the artwork to zoom in for a closer look. This image depicts Hitler as the Anti-Christ. In Christian prophetic literature, the Anti-Christ—the terrible enemy of Jesus and mankind—was expected to appear before the end of the world and lead Satan’s forces in the final struggle between good and evil. In writings dating back to ancient Rome, the figure was often identified with a particular individual. Here Szyk portrays Hitler as the personification of evil, under whose twisted cross Jews and non-Jews are enslaved and murdered. While many of Szyk’s ideas and messages are visual, there are two sentences in the illustration. The dictator’s hair hides the Latin phrase, Væ victis—Woe to the Vanquished. The banner in the top left-hand corner reads, “Today Europe, Tomorrow the World.”
[Exhibition tour with video illustration: Anti-Christ Playing time 1:11 Narration from audio tour produced by Antenna Audio.] Listen to the description of Anti-Christ from the audio tour produced to accompany the Museum's exhibition. The video clip highlights features described in the narration.
MORE Szyk