The Online Hermann-Paul Project

Description: By June 1915, all illusions of a short war had ended. In the west, the conflict was characterized by an entrenched stalemate. In the east, the Russian offensives were halted at Tanneberg and Ungvár. More materials were necessary to change the tide.

In order to supply its armies, the the allies diverted most industrial output to the war effort. With so many men at the front, women and boys were recruited by the munitions industry to meet demand.

Although it was dangerous work, many women felt liberated by the experience. It made them feel useful; they were essential participants in the war effort. It also granted them freedom and wages that had previously been enjoyed by men. They would not go quietly back to the kitchen once the war was ended.

Description: This is the final print of the first folio. Hermann-Paul depicted the first year of the war in places and events. In this last print we find a soldier on leave in the company of a lovely woman. It's an enjoyable moment; they smile as they enjoy the late-spring sun. Yet the war intervenes. He is wounded and walks with a cane. Undoubtedly he will be returned to the front.

Description: This is the cover for the second folio of Hermann-Paul's Calendrier de la Guerre. In the first part, he depicted the war in places and events. In this folio, he illustrates the war in personalities. For better or worse, this section is dominated by generals and admirals.

Description: In August 1915, Czar Nicholas II took personal command of the Russian armed forces against the wishes of nearly all his advisors. By doing so, he essentially tied the fate of his government to the mast of the war effort.

From the moment he took command, Nicholas removed trained professionals from military leadership roles and distanced himself from the seat of political power. This move proved disasterous for the czar, his family and the country.

Smouldering ruins and shocked faces provide foreshadow. Nicholas was still in power when Hermann-Paul produced this print but the Czar's move was criticized by the Western allies. That criticism was proven correct by the time this print was published. Revolution gripped Russia the following year.

Description: Color lithograph which celebrates the French-American alliance during the First World War. When the doughboys arrived in France, Gen. John Pershing was said to exclaim, "Lafayette, we have come!"

Description: From the onset of his career until the outbreak of war, Hermann-Paul depicted the army in the harshest light. The French army unjustly sentenced Dreyfus to Devil's Island and refused to acknowledge the error. It ruled the colonies with force. Like many on the political left, Hermann-Paul could barely contain his contempt.

By 1917, the French army was the only thing that stood between him and German imperialism. Such changing circumstances forced a reassessment. As the Great War raged, H-P celebrated French military tradition from 1917 back to the Napoleonic period, a span the included the Dreyfus Affair and colonial expansion, two traditions he had formerly derided. When the war ended, so did his political commentary. His focus after 1918 was strictly fine art.

Description: Woodcut, black ink on grey paper. The Angel of the Home is said to bring serenity and tranquility to the family. Hermann-Paul's angel startles the lady of the house...

Description: Woodcut printed in grey and black on Arches wove paper. This is an edition of 6, signed and numbered. Like many before and after him, Hermann-Paul was infatuated by the ladies of Spain.

Description: In a modern woodcut the gouge line is generally well pronounced. Lines are raw and edges are defined. In this medium it's hard to not strike a modern aesthetic. Working with gouges, the artist is compelled to pare the subject to its essence. The motif is a vehicle through which we can appreciate man-made artistry.

Stylistically this is a modern wood cut yet so is the motif. Prior to the 1920s, men tended to drink with men in public while women tended to children at home. This pattern began to change after the First World War. In this piece, Hermann-Paul not only cuts a modern design but he completes it with a modern woman.

Description: A Spanish matador in the first stage of the fight, tercio de varas or the lancing third. Here he observes the bull's behavior in a series of ritualized passes. This print is thought to be part of a series on Spanish matadors and dated accordingly.