General Douglas MacArthur, Howard Chandler Christy, 1952 by Atelier Liesjes

General Douglas MacArthur, commander of US land forces in the Pacific at the outbreak of World War II, suffered the worst defeat of his career in the spring of 1942, when he was forced to flee the Philippines in the aftermath of the Japanese invasion. Uttering his famous words, "I will return" on his arrival in Australia, MacArthur was now faced with the task of fending off Japan's drive for dominance in the Southwest Pacific. His success in that effort, combined with his own genius for self-promotion in the press, made him one of the most popular heroes of the war in civilian America. By the time he fulfilled his promise to retake the Philippines in the spring of 1945, his reputation had reached legendary proportions, and the following September he was chosen to preside over Japan's final surrender. HHoward Chandler Christy (10 January 1872 - 3 March 1952) was an American artist and illustrator. Famous for the "Christy Girl" - a colourful and illustrious successor to the "Gibson Girl" - Christy is also widely known for his iconic WWI military recruitment and Liberty loan posters, along with his 1940 masterpiece titled Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, which is installed along the eastern stairwell of the United States Capitol.

After building his reputation through his work as a combat artist and in support of America's efforts during World War I, Christy was soon illustrating for numerous magazine covers.