H. R Hoops Destroy This Mad Brute Analysis

“Destroy This Mad Brute” by H.R. Hoops is a U.S. Army propaganda poster, printed during World War I. The image reflects the widely-held nationalistic views of many Americans during WWI- a tense time plagued by constant violence.

‘Destroy This Mad Brute’ allegorically represents Germany as a giant, monstrous gorilla, who invades American territory, while presenting America as a frail, helpless dame, unable to escape the hands of the enemy. Formally, classical references become apparent within the rendering of the female form. The woman exudes classical elegance, beauty and sensuousness, evident within the delicate rendering of the flesh and Hellenistic-styled drapery, which contrasts the crude abrasiveness of the gorilla enemy. The gorilla,

or Germany holds in his hand a large club with the engraving ‘kultur’, the German translation of the English word ‘culture’ and steps onto American land. I chose this piece because it clearly and successfully narrates a shift in American social relations, indicative of the persecution German immigrants, as well as German-Americans received from Americans of other European lineage– a change catalyzed solely by the events of WW1. ‘Destroy This Mad Brute’ gave Americans the impression that their nation was being dominated and violated. The poster intended to create incentive within American men to fight in defense of their country and save America from becoming defiled by outside forces, an action which may or may not have been based in the truth, but nevertheless resulted in the widespread persecution of a specific group of people. The portrayal of beloved America in such a vulnerable, helpless state helped to incentivize such an attitude.
In conclusion, ‘WW1 and American Art’ successfully communicates an important fact -that World War I severely impacted American artists physically, emotionally, psychologically, and relationally. The inclement nature of this war caused grief, fear, loss and anxiety within many, if not all of its victims, and the artists who produced during this period responded through their art. WW1 and American art successfully documents these responses, which present a chronological timeline of the genesis of an American cultural revolution, catalyzed by World War I.