Early Modern Blog Exhibit

                                                                      Paths of Glory (C. 1917)

                                                              By; C.R.W Nevinson 18’ x 24’ Oil painting

                                                       Shock Troops Advancing Under Gas (C. 1924)

                                                                    By; Otto Dix 19.3cm x 28.8 cm Ink Paper 

                                                            Shock Troops Advancing Under Gas (C. 1924)

                                                                By; Otto Dix 19.3cm x 28.8 cm Ink Paper 

   World War I influence on the Modern Art Era

World War I had a dramatic impact on modern art, the war influenced the artist to explore new styles and forms of expression. Artists sought to express the true destruction and chaos a war brought. Their work reflected a past-traumatic reaction that affected society as a whole. The most used style was realism, the goal here was to truly connect the viewer to the apocalyptic horror these war vets experienced. Many artists used their art to showcase their opinions and perceptions of the conflict of the war. 

Analysis of the Presented Pieces 

              Path of Glory is one of Nevinson most famous paintings, which was painted in France. We see two dead British soldiers behind enemy lines. The “Path” in the title represents how soldiers walk into war with a death wish. Like I stated previously, many of the times artists would use their work to represent their feelings about war. In this example Nevinson was not in favor of war as there were too many deaths and much destruction. This painting was censored by the official censor of painting and drawings in France, Lieutenant Colonel A.N.Lee on the grounds that displaying two dead soldiers would hinder the war effect. Nevinson ended up still presenting this piece in his show but put a brown paper strip over the dead soldiers.    

Nevinson used strong, angular lines to create a sense of chaos and destruction. The lines guide the viewer's eyes across the canvas, allowing us to focus on the broken forms of the bodies. The color is this piece is somber and muted. We see lots of earthy browns and gray which conveys the characteristics of a bleak battlefield. The contrast between light and dark values are used to highlight the central figures and draw attention to their restless bodies. Shadows and highlights are strategically placed to create a very dramatic piece. I personally have no where to put this piece, I do find it very appealing and agree that war is violent and that we should try to avoid it at all cost. I believe this piece deserves to be in a war museum.  

          Shock Troops Advancing Under Gas really grabbed my attention, the violence and chaotic scene on this canvas is really hard to go unnoticed. Dix 's paintings portrayed corruption and social apathy of German society after the war. Dix personally volunteered in World War I as a machine gunner and suffered serious wounds. This is painted in Germany, its main focus is to represent German soldiers in combat copies can be found in Berlin, New York and Minnaplois. 

        What stood out to me the most was the use of balance the canvas holds, Dix distributes the figures and elements across the canvas which creates a harmonious but yet disturbing composition. The balance between the figures and the background help maintain a visual of the true violence. I love how gritty and rough the texture is. The texture of the soldiers uniforms, the gas masks, and landscape. The last but most important art element that I want y'all to notice is the emotion. I think it does a great job with its depiction of the dehumanizing and terrifying aspects of war. As I've stated before I'm not a fan of war so I don't think I would own this piece in my home. Although it does remind me of some of the video games I play, it doesn't feel right to present this in a gaming room with so much history on the canvas

    Gassed, this  scene is the medical aftermath of a mustard gas attack on the Western Front in 1918. A line of soldiers with bandaged eyes are led long by the elderly, each man holding the shoulder of the soldier in front. While some move to the side to vomit. The soldiers were walking to a dressing station to get treated for the mustard gas. This scene represents devastation to the young men that were forced to fight in war. 

“With all its brilliant genius and painful significance… how the field of national psychology must have been harrowed by events which had taken place during the war.”

— Sir Winston Churchill upon viewing Gassed for the first time

      I have a deep appreciation for Sergeants use of composition, it's balanced but with a rhythm created by the line of soldiers. The line also creates a sense of unity and collective suffering. The spacing he created was vital for this piece as it created a sense of depth and scale. The overlapping soldiers create a scene of crowdedness and chaos. The soldiers also rendered with a high degree of realism. Sargent attention to detail was off the charts. His abilities to display the faces of the soldiers to show exhaustion and pain. 

I would not like this piece at all. It is too deep and the history behind it is horrifying. 

Sources

“Paths of Glory - Nevinson, c R W (ARA).” Google Arts & Culture, artsandculture.google.com/asset/paths-of-glory-nevinson-c-r-w-ara/rwHOcKxGM9YwHA?hl=en.

Dix, Otto. “Shock Troops Advance under Gas (Sturmtruppe Geht Unter Gas Vor) from the War (Der Krieg).” The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA, 2011, www.moma.org/collection/works/63260.

‌Imperial War Museums. “Gassed.” Imperial War Museums, 2018, www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/23722.

“Paths of Glory.” The Daily Norm, 9 Nov. 2014, daily-norm.com/2014/11/09/paths-of-glory/.