This original 1920 French propaganda poster, titled "L'Emprunt de la Paix" (The Peace Loan), was created by Post-Impressionist painter Henri Lebasque to encourage citizens to invest in government bonds for the postwar reconstruction of France. The imagery features a mother nursing an infant in the foreground while a young girl reads beside her—symbolizing the rebirth of the nation. In the background, men are shown plowing fields and rebuilding structures against an industrial backdrop of factories and a river. This specific example was printed by Maquet Gr. in Paris.

Specifications

• Medium: Color lithograph on paper

• Artist: Henri Lebasque (French, 1865-1937)

• Date: 1920

• Printer: Imp. Maquet, Paris

• Height: 53 in

• Length: 40 in

• Frame: Dark wood frame with gold-tone inner lip

French history, World War I, reconstruction, propaganda art, motherhood, agriculture, industrialization, vintage advertising, peace loan, collectible posters, 1920s decor, lithographic print.