The Visual Front: Posters of the Spanish Civil War

September 18, 2002–February 16, 2003
The Wolfsonian–FIU @ 1001 Washington Avenue

On almost every building there are party posters: posters against Fascism, posters about the defense of Madrid, posters appealing for recruits to the militia...even posters for the emancipation of women.
–British writer Christopher Caudwell (Barcelona, December 1936)

The Spanish Civil War (1936–39) was one of the most catastrophic episodes in the history of twentieth-century Europe. It positioned the democratically elected government of the second Spanish Republic and its followers (Republicans) against Spain’s conservative and traditionalist forces (Nationalists). The propaganda posters in The Visual Front: Posters of the Spanish Civil War—all in support of the Republican cause—began to appear on the walls of Spanish cities only a few days after the start of the war.

The exhibition presented some of the most dominant themes that appeared while the country was swept up in this revolutionary fervor: the call to arms, the fortification and defense of major cities, the expansion of industrial and agricultural production, and appeals to aid soldiers and civilians. With striking images and compelling slogans, the posters were notable for their enduring capacity to energize and to persuade.

The Visual Front: Posters of the Spanish Civil War was organized by The Wolfsonian–FIU with the cooperation of The Mandeville Special Collections Library, University of California, San Diego.