| u0003_0004200_0000086 |
| Title | We Need You |
| Creator | Albert Sterner |
| Date | 1918 |
| Format | 39 x 28 in |
| Description | Albert Sterner’s poster “We Need You” is representative of Sterner’s artistic style through its use of penciling for dramatic effect, and gesture to focalize the attention of the viewer. The strong contrast between dark and light, known as chiaroscuro, establishes a sense of dread and desperation in order to persuade women of the necessity of joining the Red Cross to provide relief for wounded soldiers and assistance to exhausted nurses. A young woman dressed in civilian clothing looks up at an angelic nurse wrapped in long drapes adorned with the Red Cross insignia. The downward gesture of the statuesque nurse quickly redirects the attention of the audience to a second, smaller nurse kneeling beside a heavily bandaged man on a cot. As the nurse comforts the wounded soldier, she looks back and up toward the standing women, her posture and facial expression embodying the message contained in the text “We Need You.” Sterner’s penciling adds texture to the image by contrasting long, and linear lines on the left, with dark swirling shadows on the right. Given that this image is a recruitment poster for the Red Cross, it is clear that the audience is invited to identify themselves with the young civilian as she contemplates joining the saintly ranks of the Red Cross. |
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