"The Surrender – Original ink signed Adrien Meria (1915) – Allegory of the French Victory"

This exceptional work, produced in ink in 1915 and signed by Adrien Meria (pseudonym of Jean Rémi Machaux, 1878–1962), condenses the French patriotic imagination of the First World War through a powerful visual allegory.

In the foreground, a helmeted woman lies on the ground, a broken sword in her hand: Germania, the personification of Germany, defeated and subdued. Facing her, standing majestic, is the French Republic—a female figure in a toga and Corinthian helmet—extending a sword toward another seated woman, the symbol of the victorious nation.

Around her, a scene rich in symbolism: a Gallic rooster, a shield with the republican coat of arms, a mother and her naked child, the embodiment of protective France. In the background, the crouching silhouette of a grieving woman represents the city of Paris, bruised but resilient. On the horizon, we see the smoking ruins of a destroyed city, a testament to the ravages of war.

This 22 x 32 cm ink print, in perfect condition and framed, is part of the symbolist and propaganda vein of French wartime production. It perfectly illustrates the vision of Meria, a multi-talented artist: press cartoonist, caricaturist, painter and screenwriter, known for his contributions to magazines such as Le Rire, L'Assiette au Beurre and La Gifle.

A rare work, rich in meaning, for lovers of patriotic art, republican symbolism or iconographic militaria from the 1914–1918 period.

Artist: Adrien Meria (Jean Rémi Machaux, 1878–1962)

Date: 1915

Technique : Original ink on paper

Format (without frame): 22 x 32 cm

Signature: Signed lower right

Subject: Allegory of French victory – Surrender of Germania – French Republic

Visible symbols: Gallic rooster, broken sword, republican shield, mourning woman (Paris)