Devil Dog

The U.S. Marine Corps purchased this portrait in 1924. Samuel J. Woolf captures a Marine taking a break in a bombed out building, looking slightly to the right, gazing at an unseen figure. Woolf’s focus is on the strength of his hands and the tenseness of his facial features. His posture indicates he is aware of his surroundings and keeping his rifle and blanket close. Woolf does not sentimentalize the scene; he had been living and traveling with Marines and soldiers since his arrival in France in 1917. Woolf knew well the exhaustion and stress this Marine was experiencing.