Early Modern Blog
This is "On the Wire" by Harvey Dunn, 1918 in France.
This is "Paths of Glory" by C R W Nevinson, 1917
This is"Back from the Fight" by Harry Townsend, 1918 in France.
I chose to pick artwork in relation to and inspired by WWI. I chose to go this path because it was the most interesting to me out of the topics we were allowed to choose from. I think that the artwork from this era tells stories within the paintings themselves. The details and realism are astonishing and make you stop and look at it just a little longer.
For our first painting, "On the Wire", shows two soldiers carrying a third on a makeshift stretcher next to a barbwire fence with smoke/fog in the background. The soldier in the back has his head hung low, whereas the one in the front has his head up and is looking ahead. This painting shows a sad, emotional scene as these soldiers are carrying their fallen comrade out of the battlefield.
For our second painting, "Paths of Glory", shows two fallen soldiers next to a barbwire fence with their helmets and firearms strewn next to them. It's daytime and the barbwire in the front of the painting is broken and mangled. This painting also shows a sad and emotional scene, as these two soldiers have fallen in battle.
For our third painting, "Back from the Fight", shows multiple soldiers next to a tank on a hill. This painting I feel is not as detailed as the other two, but still tells a story. One of the soldiers is lying on the ground with another soldier next to him with his head bowed. I am unsure if the one lying down has passed away or if he is simply just sleeping.
I do like all of these paintings, and I've always been interested in the artwork from the World Wars, as I feel like the paintings and artwork composed about them show us another side of the battles that were fought and the losses and wins that occurred throughout both of the Wars. For these paintings, these are not paintings I've ever seen before about WWI, and I feel like they show us more of the inside of the war than a document about the War can. The colors that these artists used as well as the textures they were able to incorporate into them really make them even more realistic. All of them are very "close range", I think would be the best way to put it, as it shows one up close image of these scenes. I don't personally think that I would own any of these to put in my own house, and would prefer to see them on display at a museum.
Sources
“Battlefield Artworks Offer Harsh, Intimate Window onto the Devastation of WWI.” Smithsonian Insider, insider.si.edu/2017/05/wwi-art-offers-harsh-intimate-window-onto-devastation-wwi/. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.
“Picturing World War I: America’s First Official War Artists, 1918-1919.” | National Museum of American History, americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object-groups/official-artwork-wwi. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.
Hey Mercedes! I enjoyed your choices of WWI works, but I had to find a higher resolution version of the first one. I'm not sure what genre of art "On the Wire" is from, but I noticed the difference between the color of the soldiers and the stretcher compared to the landscape. The soldiers are an ashen grey, while the field here is still dark green and shows some flowers peeking out in the morning fog.
ReplyDeleteI think that the mood of the second piece isn't so much sad as bitter. The name "Paths of Glory" reminds me of the general mood of the first world war. It was originally called the great war, because many at the time believed it would be the decisive war of the time period, and usher in a new age of peace and glory to the victors. As we know now, it was anything but decisive and glorious, and a large number of soldiers on both sides were very bitter about that fact.
I agree with your synopsis on the "close range" frames, and I agree having this style of painting in your house would be a bit of a downer.
Hello Mercedes, I chose WWI also! The differance in all three of them i noticed that they go from gloomy to bright colors. The second one gives off emotion the most i feel like even though it is completely different from the others even though it is not a picture of someone exactly you can feel the sadness. . What made you want to choose world war I?. I think that more detail within the discriptions would have helped understand the history behind these paintings. but overall good job relating these pictures to the theme
ReplyDeleteI liked your focus on World War 1! It's a shame that "On The Wire" got uploaded in poor quality though, because I went and checked it out and really liked how it was painted. The juxtaposition of the hill of flowers with the barbed wire and solemn soldiers really brings the painting to life. Compared to the other two which all have such a bleak landscape, I like how much it stands out. Like you said, it makes for a very somber, emotional scene, whereas the other two just reinforce the grittiness of war in a way that so common that you might almost tune out. Overall, great paintings that really bring out the brutality of war!
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