Lot 140

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Description:

Arthur Szyk Original Pencil Sketch of Marshal Pétain and Vichy France

An original pencil drawing on paper by Polish-Jewish artist Arthur Szyk. Signed by the illustrator as "Arthur Szyk / N.Y. 1941" at lower left corner. The illustration depicts the personification of Vichy France, officially known as the French State when the country of France was occupied by Nazi Germany. French Marshal Philippe Pétain is seated with a defeated look on his face and wearing a French uniform with Nazi insignia on it. The capital of the French State, Vichy, is seen chained to a pole. The sketch has been mounted and framed to the overall size of 10" x 9". Not examined out of the frame. Minor soiling to the mat. Very fine, with a clear signature.

Vichy had been a spa and resort town prior to World War II. When France was invaded, Prime Minister Paul Reynaud chose to resign rather than sign an armistice and was replaced by Marshal Philippe Pétain. Shortly thereafter, Pétain signed the Armistice of June 22, 1940, and Vichy was recognized as a "Free Zone" from Nazi occupation. At Vichy, Pétain established an authoritarian government that reversed many liberal policies and began tight supervision of the economy. The media were tightly controlled and promoted antisemitism and anti-Sovietism. Vichy also had to pay a heavy tribute in gold, food, and supplies to Germany, and French police were ordered to round up Jews and other "undesirables" - at least 72,500 Jews were killed as a result.

Arthur Szyk (1894-1951) was a talented illustrator who became one of the most important political cartoonists of World War II, and his drawings were published in major magazines and five times made the cover of "Time." Szyk's depictions of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Emperor Hirohito, Francisco Franco, Joseph Goebbels, Henrich Himmler, Hermann Goering, Hideki Tojo, Pierre Laval, Henri Pétain and other Axis leaders and Axis puppets fueled the American war propaganda machine.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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September 6, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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Bid Increments
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$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000