no. 5, Von Kluck (General Alexander Von Kluck), unknown maker from France

Exhibition Label:
"Machine in a Void: World War I & the Graphic Arts," Mar-2010, Steve Goddard
When Notre Dame was restored in the mid-18th century, artists and photographers were invited to climb the scaffolding and capture images of the new and hopefully improved cathedral. The freestanding stone chimeras in particular caught the popular imagination, with countless images of the statues appearing in prints, drawings, and photographs of Notre Dame. By the early 20th century, the chimeras had come to stand not only for Notre Dame but also Parisian (and to some extent French) identity. Thousands of postcards of the chimera were produced, and during World War I, these immediately identifiable monsters were recast in a series of postcards, this time as German and Austrian heads of state and military leaders.

The fact that these images are based on demons carved on a Gothic cathedral takes on an extra level of irony with the last two generals, von Kluck and von Bulow, who are described as destroying the medieval patrimony of France. Alexander Von Kluck is described as “One of the scoundrels and leader of the band who ordered the destruction of northern France, and out of spite pitilessly
bombarded Soissons.”