Madrid - November 7th - They Shall Not Pass

MADRID-7 DE NOVIEMBRE-NO PASARAN! MADRID-NOVEMBER 7TH-THEY SHALL NOT PASS! [100 x 70cm] Espert & Jose Briones [1937]. Issued by Ministry of Propaganda, Madrid Office. Issued to honor the people's defense of Madrid; its dominant blue color may evoke the blue overalls that were standard worker's attire. On November 7th the Madrid Defense Committee took over the city. General Francisco Franco, head of the military rebellion, announced that the city would fall the next day; instead Madrid resisted his armies for two years. "No Pasaran!" was the slogan that echoed worldwide to symbolize the people's determination that Franco would not capture the capital. At the center of the poster is a little collage of images of some of the city's famous public architecture. The telefonica building, located at the city's high point, was a frequent target of fascist artillery; it is uppermost in the collage. In the center are the multiple arches of the Puerta de Alcala. To the left, atop a dome, is a winged figure that rises above a building at the juncture of Calle de Alcala and the Gran Via. The poster shows evidence of the expressionist influence on Spanish Civil War art.

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