Date: 1917
Size: 20.5 x 28 inches
Artist: George Lillian
About the Poster: Cardinal Desire Joseph Mercier (1851-1926) was occupied Belgium's effective wartime resistance leader in the absence of the Belgian King Albert I and his government. Mercier was a former professor of theology at Louvain university and was the Roman Catholic primate of Belgium in 1914.
With the overrunning of Belgium and the exile of both the King and his government Mercier acted as the rallying point for Belgian resistance to German occupation. By the time Mercier returned from the election of the new Pope, Benedict XV, the majority of the country was in German hands.
Publishing open letters (which were subsequently picked up by Allied and neutral newspapers) Mercier criticised the German occupation force. Whereas ordinarily Mercier could have been expected to be arrested and perhaps even shot for his subversive views - regardless of his position as a cardinal - his unusually high profile, and popularity among German Catholics ensured his continuing liberty, aside from a brief period of arrest in January 1915.
About the Artist: This poster was illustrated by George Lillian in 1917. Lillian was an American artist and illustrator. The imagery encourages the preservation of food to ensure enough resources exist for both civilians and soldiers in combat. The emphasis on preservation and the appeal made in the text of the poster suggests that there was a limited food supply and that the poster was a part of a national effort to commit to wasting less food. This poster was created and reproduced as a lithograph at the time of its distribution.
Poster is in very good condition with edge wear. Please see photos.
Rare and ready to frame.