Vincent Smarkusz

Undiscovered American Genius in Modern Art

Self-Portrait in Pencil, 1940

Time: 
1940

This second self-portrait was created by the artist in 1940 at the age of 21, a few months before he was drafted into the U.S. Army.  His parent's homeland of Poland had been invaded by Nazi Germany the year before - and nine months after his enlistment, Pearl Harbor was attacked.  The U.S. declared war on Japan and Germany as World War II reached global proportions.  Vincent was stationed stateside until 1943, then transferred to the Pacific Theater of Operations to fight against Japan as an Air Force gunner in the Philippines and Okinawa.