The artwork titled “Again the Springboard of Civilization” was created by Charles Alston in the year 1943. It falls within the Social Realism art movement and is categorized as a poster.
In this artwork, a lone soldier stands with his back to the viewer, gripped firmly on his rifle, which is pointed forward. He gazes across a conceptual map of Europe and North Africa during World War II. The map prominently displays key regions and countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Yugoslavia, and Sicily. The soldier’s resolute stance, along with the rising smoke or clouds in the background, symbolically underscores the tumultuous times and the pivotal historical moments being depicted. The artwork’s title, boldly inscribed at the bottom, reinforces a narrative of strategic regions once more becoming central in the shaping of history and civilization. The artist’s signature “Alston 43” is visible in the bottom left corner of the piece.
