For whom the bell tolls

Immortalised in the photography of Robert Capa, the literature of Hemingway and Dali's art, the Spanish Civil War was a turning point in Europe's troubled history. The Instituto Cervantes in Dublin is currently exhibiting a selection of posters from that period sourced from the Pablo Iglesias Foundation Collection.

The collection carries over 2000 reproductions of posters from the era. The art of poster-making is  examined in this exhibition as those on display have been  chosen to showcase the variety of themes and authors from the collection. Made in an era when the practice of propaganda was at its historical peak the posters show the strength of the Republican movement in Spain and the artistic merit of the posters' ability to appeal to the public's imagination through the symbolism displayed. The fact that these posters were used to spread word of the dangers of wartime situations and the political causes of the day is obscured by vivid colours  and complex imagery . The posters form the visual landscape that the Spanish people came to know as their own during the war; the posters campaigned on their behalf for every aspect of their lives and were a constant and colourful reminder that their country was divided and at war. 

The exhibition runs until 29 August, Insituto Cervantes, Lincoln House, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2.