To Arms!

The poster ‘To Arms!’ by Edmund Bartłomiejczyk, printed by the Association of Printing Works Owners, features a dynamic, vertically oriented composition dominated by the central figure of a Polish soldier with his arms raised. The soldier, raising his sabre aloft, forms a powerful axis that draws the viewer’s gaze deep into the scene. The figure is surrounded by undulating, irregular shapes resembling smoke or clouds. Below the central figure’s feet are situated: in the foreground – a banner bearing the image of Mary with the Child, and in the background (to the right) the silhouettes of a group of figures carrying other banners. Above and below the depiction, on white panels, are the poster’s slogans: “To arms!” and “The enemy at the gates of the homeland! Join the Volunteer Army".
The poster’s colour palette is austere yet expressive, based mainly on a deep, muted turquoise and a warm, sandy ochre, with accents of white and black. These contrasts contribute to a sense of dynamism and drama. The elements of the composition are defined by solid, decisive lines.
Cross-hatching and fine stippling create texture in the lighter areas of the background, whilst the soldier’s dark uniform appears flatter, yet outlined with sharp contours. The draped fabric at the bottom exhibits a softer, wavy texture suggested by fine, parallel lines.