She specifically states in her introduction that her study uses critical terms in a linguistic (as opposed to image-based) lexicon and syntax (14).Ī careful reading of the text, however, may cause some readers to suspect the author uses such an approach not because linguistic terminology is more understandable to her audience rather, she is glossing over her own inadequacies in art historical terms. Overall, and especially for readers with no background in art history, this contributes to the readability of the book.
Much of Iconography of Power deals with aspects of art history, but Bonnell rarely uses terminology associated with that discipline. To the largely religious and superstitious population, tradition and familiarity were the most effective artistic devices. Bonnell repeatedly stresses the importance of familiarity in Soviet political art. The author traces the lineage of specific iconography such as the image of the blacksmith/worker (23), the use of allegory (68–69), and “before and after” frames within a poster (107). This linear style allows the reader to develop a gradual understanding of the how’s and why’s of Soviet political art and why it was so significant to a country undergoing massive change and upheaval. The first three chapters of Iconography of Power are predominantly chronological. Ample use of images in the book, conveniently placed at the end of each chapter, allows a reader with a background in Russian studies to attain a deeper understanding of the Soviet Union, while at the same time enlighten readers new to the subject without becoming overwhelming or intimidating. The author, writing in a flowing and highly readable style, explains the foundational ideas of Soviet political art, then continues to lead the reader through the various stages of artistic development, pointing out cultural, economic, and political signposts along the way. A large portion of the book is devoted to comparing the iconography in religious art to the political variety. Images, provided they contained certain types of iconography, were not only familiar to the population they were also powerful and at the same time comforting. Images had been a major part of every Russian’s life for hundreds of years through the Russian Orthodox use and veneration of icons. In Iconography of Power, the reader is guided through the formative years of the Soviet Union and how political art helped to indoctrinate a largely illiterate population.Įarly on, Bonnell states why the use of images went beyond the practical aspect of reaching an audience lacking reading ability. The widespread use of various images was a key method used by the Soviet government to convince citizens to embrace socialist ideals. This new “Soviet man” would be devoted to building a Marxist state in thought, deed, and lifestyle. Indeed, the ultimate goal - and the thesis of Victoria Bonnell’s Iconography of Power: Soviet Political Posters under Lenin and Stalin - was to create a new type of individual, the Homo sovieticus (Bonnell, xix). When the Bolsheviks seized control of Russia in 1917, one of their first and most important goals was to inform and convince the Russian population that not only was a new and government in place, but that the new regime, its leaders, and ideology would create a new and better nation.
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