Around 8 or 9 years ago I was buying and selling a lot of Soviet era art from Russia. I had and still have a fondness for it. To me, it relates closely to American WPA era "inspirational" (or propagandistic!) art meant to inspire the nation. At any rate, here is a WWII battle scene, in which a platoon leader points dramatically towards the enemy, ordering a charge over the top of a hill. It is painted in oil on heavy cardboard, as I learned most of the art from this period was -- there just weren't art supplies around, and artists didn't have the money to buy them at any rate. Confident brushstrokes and use of geometric blocks of color to create the composition; it is nearly abstract in places, as you can see. A real conversation piece!