For you, brave soldier - Sergey Solomko

A poignant First World War illustration by Sergey Solomko, featuring a woman with Allied flags and a message of hope for returning soldiers.

Sergey Solomko, a Russian artist who spent much of his career in Paris, produced this illustration during the First World War. The work functions as a patriotic postcard, a medium that gained immense popularity during the conflict. It depicts a young woman holding a heart-shaped object, positioned beside a basket decorated with the flags of the Allied powers, including the Union Jack and the French Tricolour. The inclusion of an egg, often associated with Easter or rebirth, suggests a message of hope for the safe return of soldiers from the front.

Solomko is recognised for his elegant, stylised figures and his ability to capture the fashion and sentiment of the early twentieth century. His technique here combines delicate watercolour washes with precise ink lines, a hallmark of his illustrative style. The composition is balanced, with the figure of the woman providing a vertical anchor against the horizontal arrangement of the basket and the fallen rose in the foreground. The text at the base, written in French, translates to: 'To you, brave soldier who will return a victor, this egg carries our heart.'

This piece reflects the visual culture of the Great War, where art was frequently used to maintain morale and express national identity. Solomko’s work often features refined, graceful subjects, and this illustration is no exception. It captures a moment of domestic sentimentality amidst the backdrop of global conflict. The muted colour palette, dominated by soft tones and the specific hues of the national flags, creates a sense of period authenticity. As a fine art print, this work offers a glimpse into the intersection of commercial illustration and wartime propaganda, preserved through Solomko’s distinctively polished aesthetic.