Mars His Idiot, 1937
Kerr Ebyexpand_more
Etching in dark brown inkexpand_more
Gift of the Print and Drawing Councilexpand_more P.93.7
Not on Viewexpand_more
Kerr Eby served with the American army in France during the First World War (1914-18). His experiences on the frontlines convinced him of the absurdity of war and violence. In the years after the war's end, Eby produced a series of prints based largely on sketches he made during his military service. Some were documentary, others far darker in tone.
In 1935, fearing the imminent threat of a second European war, Eby wrote an emotional anti-war essay that appeared in a gallery catalogue for an exhibition of his war prints. In the last print of the series, issued in 1937, Eby portrays Mars, the Roman god of war, as a murderous and insatiable monster who devours soldiers and entire armies. The etching takes its title from a book of the same name by British writer Henry Major Tomlinson, a prominent anti-war advocate, and reflects Eby's grave concerns about the rising specter of war.
Exhibitions
International Modernism: Art in a Fast-changing World
Saturday, September 19, 2015 - Saturday, December 31, 2016
Details
- Title
- Mars His Idiot
- Artist Life
- Canadian (born Japan), 1889–1946
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.93.7
- Provenance
- (The Old Print Shop, New York); sold to MIA, 1993.
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Giardina 190 vii/viii
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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