I summon you to comradeship in the Red Cross 1918

Curator: Right. This is Harrison Fisher's 1918 watercolour and gouache painting, reproduced as a recruitment poster, entitled "I summon you to comradeship in the Red Cross." Editor: My goodness, what an entrancing summons! She’s luminous, almost ethereal, bathed in that rosy watercolour glow. It’s…romanticized propaganda, isn't it? Curator: Fisher was known for his "American Girl" depictions – idealised, fashionable, and always beautiful. This particular "American Girl" literally embodies the American flag. She seems to be draped in its folds, against the faint outline of what appears to be the Capitol building. Editor: The flag almost becomes her dress—it's quite seductive for wartime recruitment! Do you think that the red cross behind her serves to reinforce both spiritual and patriotic messages during WWI? There’s an interesting tension here between nationalistic fervor and humanitarian aid. Curator: I agree. There’s the disembodied voice of Woodrow Wilson printed at the top. And isn’t the use of watercolour striking here? It gives the image a delicate, almost dreamlike quality. It contrasts sharply with the very real brutalities of war. Editor: Precisely! It smooths the hard edges of war with an appealing idealism. It makes me think about the visual languages that were intentionally deployed by artists in posters to rally participation by enlisting the emotions and patriotism of viewers during WWI. What if instead of a flag, she was draped in bandages—would that be a stronger visual? Curator: The flag makes it directly about national pride, not just humanitarian aid. It is definitely effective in connecting a kind of pure womanhood with service, an offer of redemption through enlisting in wartime efforts. Even the way she looks out directly towards the viewer. Editor: Absolutely, that direct address personalizes the appeal, doesn't it? Fisher created a compelling figure and a persuasive narrative for service, although one wrapped in layers of romanticism and idealization that needs more unpacking in our modern critical perspective. Curator: Indeed. And the beauty and the soft tones almost obscure, in a way, the darker, urgent realities of 1918. Editor: A beautiful and manipulative piece, definitely ripe for a closer reading and discussion. It raises important questions of how national identity, gender, and artistic representation are intertwined.