Early Modern art and the influence of WWI

 

    World War I was a tragic time for many people. Families were broken when men left to go fight in the war and times changed forever. This time in world history was so grand that of course, it would have an impact on the art world.


The Tunnellers Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson (1916)

    The Tunnellers is a very dynamic piece. It uses dark colors to create an eerie feeling. The man is wearing a gas mask which is common in WWI when it comes to the mustard gas that was often used to get soldiers out of the trenches. There is only one singular light source that illuminates that dark tunnel ahead. This piece definitely shows the dark side of the war and the sadness that accompanies it.


Blood and Iron Charles Ernest Butler (1916)

    There is a very emotional response for me and this painting. It depicts a Belgian woman who is being comforted by Christ and the German Kaiser behind them has death looking over his shoulder. This painting shows the amount of destruction that the war had caused for Belgium. Christ looking after the woman is very powerful because not many religious pieces were being produced during this time. It clearly creates a sense of justice being served as you look at the man in the background with death at his shoulder ready to take him. 


Over the Top John Nash (1918)

    Something about this painting really expresses the tragedy of war. Men are having to leave their fellow soldiers behind to continue fighting. You can see the bodies of fallen soldiers in the trenches and some of the body language of the soldiers crawling out of the trench seem to be terribly sad. There are also fallen soldiers above the trenches as they are being shot at. The pure white snow gives a large contrast to the dark matter of this painting.

Donnelly, Jo Hookes and Rachel. “British Art of the First World War.” Imperial War Museums, https://www.iwm.org.uk/learning/resources/british-art-of-the-first-world-war.

Farrell, Jennifer. “Art as Influence and Response: A First Look at World War I and the Visual Arts.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 16 Oct. 2017, https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2017/world-war-i-and-the-visual-arts-introduction.




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