If you think the world is chaotic now, imagine living a century ago in the heights of World War I.
As we approach the 100-year anniversary of America joining the fray on April 6, 1917, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is holding the first major exhibition on American art and the war (appearing later this year in New York and Nashville).
"The works in WWI and American Art help us see in fresh and unfamiliar ways where we were headed a century ago and, by extension, where we maybe headed today," write curators Robert Cozzolino, Anne Knutson, and David Lubin (this reporter's father).
We’ve gathered some works from the exhibition below along with insights from the catalog.
SEE ALSO: Stunning combat artwork reveals WWII fighting that will never be seen again
American art was mostly pro-war, at least at first. None more so than Childe Hassam’s dreamy paintings of flags in New York City.
Some artists made actual propaganda, like this famous work by James Montgomery Flagg (modeled after the artist himself).
Some posters questioned the manhood of anyone who didn’t fight.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider