State University of New York College at Buffalo - Buffalo State College Digital Commons at Buffalo State History Theses History and Social Studies Education 5-2013 Wartime Art: A Study of Political Propaganda and Individual Expression in American Commercial and Combat Art during World War II Jennifer M. Wilcott State University of New York, Buffalo State College,
[email protected] Advisor Nancy Weekly, M.A., Lecturer of History and Museum Studies First Reader Cynthia A. Conides, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History and Museum Studies Department Chair Andrew D. Nicholls, Ph.D., Professor of History To learn more about the History and Social Studies Education Department and its educational programs, research, and resources, go to http://history.buffalostate.edu/. Recommended Citation Wilcott, Jennifer M., "Wartime Art: A Study of Political Propaganda and Individual Expression in American Commercial and Combat Art during World War II" (2013). History Theses. 17. https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/history_theses/17 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/history_theses Part of the United States History Commons i ABSTRACT OF THESIS Wartime Art: A Study of Political Propaganda and Individual Expression in American Commercial and Combat Art during World War II This thesis will explore the mediums and functions of American art during World War II. The purpose of exploring art during World War II is not simply to provide an overview of the multiple media of art produced during the war, but to investigate the role that commercial artwork and combat soldiers’ artwork had on the lasting interpretation of the war. Themes addressed are propaganda, the role of posters, comic books, and cartoons along with their influence on American society at the time.