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Catalogue information
LastDodo number
6650961
Area
Drawings / paintings
Title
Messing up his pictures
Artist
Art object
Art Movement / style
Genre
Material
Technique used
Colouring
Dimensions
35 x 28 cm
Series / hero
Collection / set
Number
Addition to number
Year
1953
Country
Language
Details
Original editorial cartoon in pen and ink on card published in the Columbus Dispatch (Ohio), 1953, shows Soviet politician Georgy Malenkov as an angel of peace carrying an olive branch, saying ‘I love peace - oops!’ as a bomb representing ‘East German revolt’ explodes in front of him. Although the Soviet leadership spoke constantly of their wish for world peace as the Cold War era developed after 1945, they did not always practise what they preached, and certainly not in their Eastern European satellite states. Following the death of Stalin in 1953 Malenkov emerged briefly as party leader. Malenkov was in favour of policies which aimed at improvement in the standard of living, stressed a shift in investment toward light industry and trade and a greater availability of consumer goods. As the East German leadership pressed forward with the implementation of hard-line Stalin-style communism, conditions for the people of East Germany deteriorated and many fled to West Germany. Malenkov warned the East German leaders that they were heading for catastrophe and persuaded them to make concessions in the hope of pacifying workers with an improved standard of living. High production quotas and increased work norms (i.e. more work for the same wage) remained in place however, and the general discontent among the people erupted following a strike by East Berlin construction workers on 16 June 1953, the uprising spreading around the country in the following days. The East German People's Police and the Soviet Army suppressed the uprising, in which approximately 500 people were killed. Malenkov’s halo is shown as rather badly dented here, but it would probably be fairer to lay responsibility for this situation at the door of the East German communists and their leader, the widely loathed Stalinist Walter Ulbricht. Mounted for an overall size of 51 x 40 cm (20 x 16 inch), image size 35 x 28 cm, signed lower right. Artist’s name typed in upper border and caption in lower border, and caption and date 1954 (probably incorrectly) in pencil on verso. In very good condition.