Platform of Propaganda

True Intentions

Documentation was a part of the U.S. government sending over artists in the AEF, but it is not the only reason for the artists’ stay in France. By entering the War, the U.S. had ended its period of isolation and was ready to take part in conflicts around the world. This caused strife as many Americans did not want to take part in a war they felt was not theirs. The artists of the AEF walked a fine line when creating works to send back to Washington. By being sponsored by the government, the artists could not just paint or draw whatever they wanted; they had to keep the government’s interests in mind when creating their works and balance government interests and the truth. The clearest example of this is the absence of bodies in the 800 plus pieces of art the AEF submitted during their time in France. Historians argue over the validity of some of the AEF’s work because of the agenda the government pushed on the artists and how truthful they were in their depictions. Because the U.S. government wanted to keep people invested and in support of U.S. troops, there were specific requirements on what the artists should depict as well as what would be published. Furthermore, the artist’s two main orders, providing a historical record of the war and producing pieces to be used as propaganda, heavily conflicted one another and put the artists in a difficult position. The artists of the AEF, sometimes known as the AEF 8, had strict deadlines every month that they had to meet when submitting their work, further putting pressure on the artists to produce quantity over quality.