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About this Item

Title

  • Cutting Iron.

Summary

  • This propaganda poster from the Russian Civil War of 1919--21 is by Vladimir Lebedev, a prolific Russian painter, book illustrator, and poster and set designer. Lebedev's compositions are distinguished by simple blocks of color and figures broken down into geometric shapes. The image here depicts a worker manually cutting a sheet of iron. With minimal lines, details, and colors the artist creates a distinct and positive image of a factory worker, the iron easily yielding to his strength. During the Civil War, the Russian Telegraph Agency (ROSTA) produced many posters that were used to communicate government messages and promote the solidarity of the working class. In the early part of the war, military themes and exposure of the enemies of the young Soviet republic dominated. Content later turned to social and economic reconstruction, with praise for workers and peasants and condemnation of truancy and lack of social consciousness. ROSTA posters were made in Moscow, Petrograd (present-day Saint Petersburg), and other cities. The originals were painted by hand and then reproduced by means of cutout stencils and circulated throughout the country. They were posted at train stations, markets, and shop windows, which became known as ROSTA Windows. Leading avant-garde artists, such as Vladimir Mayakovsky, contributed images and texts. Class enemies were satirized with simple and laconic images while the texts, often in the form of rhymes or slogans, used colloquial phrases imitating working-class lexicon, with puns, slang, and crude expressions. Lebedev, who had studied at the Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg, worked for the Petrograd branch of ROSTA in 1920--22, where he created more than 500 posters.

Names

  • Lebedev, Vladimir Vasilʹevich, 1891-1967 Artist.
  • ROSTA Associated Name.

Created / Published

  • Petrograd : ROSTA, 1920-12.

Headings

  • -  Russian Federation
  • -  1920-12
  • -  Avant-garde (Aesthetics)
  • -  Laborers
  • -  Political posters
  • -  Soviet Union -- History -- Revolution, 1917-1921

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 1 sheet : colorwash.
  • -  Original resource at: National Library of Russia.
  • -  Content in Russian.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021669075

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Lebedev, Vladimir VasilʹEvich, Artist, and Rosta Associated Name. Cutting Iron. Russian Federation, 1920. Petrograd: ROSTA, -12. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669075/.

APA citation style:

Lebedev, V. V. & Rosta Associated Name. (1920) Cutting Iron. Russian Federation, 1920. Petrograd: ROSTA, -12. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669075/.

MLA citation style:

Lebedev, Vladimir VasilʹEvich, Artist, and Rosta Associated Name. Cutting Iron. Petrograd: ROSTA, -12. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021669075/>.