Uncle Sam, Santa, and Children Play War. New York, circa 1944.

SZYK, Arthur. Uncle Sam, Santa, and Children Play War. (New York, circa 1944.) Pencil on board. Sheet size: 14″ x 11 1/8″. Image size: 10 5/8″ x 7 15/16″. Very Good condition.

One of the more enigmatic of Szyk’s unfinished works, this piece was clearly intended as a border of some kind, though it is unknown what text it was to frame. Absent such context, Szyk’s intentions are open to interpretation — a patriotic image? A tongue-in-cheek critique of war? Or a darker rumination on World War II specifically?

Standing at upper left, Uncle Sam presides over the whole scene, waving his conductor’s wand and gazing bemusedly down at the mayhem that surrounds him. Although his face is kindly, he has rounds of ammunition strapped to his belt, perhaps betraying a more sinister agenda. Beneath him, a cascade of children and toys fill the frame. One little boy can clearly be seen grasping a Hitler doll in his hands. Other children play with dolls that appear to representing the other Axis leaders. A small tank rumbles across the bottom of the frame. At right is Santa Claus, floating above the jumble of children and dolls, holding a battleship as if it were a toy sailboat. He is flanked by a Christmas tree, trimmed with ornaments and crowned with a star. A flurry of war planes pepper the air around the tree, circling back to Uncle Sam’s outstretched hand. Nearly seven decades later, this provocative juxtaposition of innocent children and implements of war remains both modern and affecting.

Provenance: Alexandra Szyk Bracie, daughter of Arthur Szyk.