The Menil Collection presents "The Parade," an exhibition of drawings by Polish-born American artist Si Lewen, made in preparation for his groundbreaking graphic novel about the never-ending cycle of war, The Parade (1957). All 55 original drawings reproduced in the book will be exhibited, along with eight additional related works. The complete set has never before been exhibited in the United States.

Without a single written word, The Parade tells the story of events that the artist experienced firsthand: armistice parades after World War I, the rise of Nazism, World War II, the Holocaust, and finally, post war celebrations. More broadly, the drawings speak to the cycle of war, the seductive glory and pomp, followed by soldier enlistment, community deprivation, devastating destruction, death, and heartbreak. When the war ends, the cycle repeats.

"The Parade" begins with images of children and families making their way towards a celebration. After watching a military parade, children wearing paper hats pretend to fight one another. All too soon, they are given deadly weapons, and what once seemed like lighthearted fun morphs into a nightmare. The drawings represent devastation, desolation, and death. Menacing shadows and a dark, ominous tone convey the shock and horror of war. The series unfolds cinematically, sequentially connecting one image to another to create a powerfully moving work of art.