Art & The Great War

[cyberia]

"New Years 1917"-Leendert Jordaan

Drawing published in the Dutch weekly De Notenkraker on December 22, 1917. Amsterdam artist Jordaan became famous for his political drawings.

"Carnage"-Jean Despujols

Painter Despujols was a soldier in the French army in May of 1917 when he came across a horrible scene along a railway, somewhere in Northern France and made this sketch. There was also a famous photograph taken of the same scene that day.

Im Schützengraben Während eindes Schweren Gefechts
(In the trenches during a heavy fight)
A watercolor post card by an unknown artist

That's right, post cards from the trenches. This amazingly serialized rendition of front line fighting was actually mailed to a Young girl in Dusseldorf. On the back the soldier wrote he was on a few days leave and so glad to be away from the fighting.

[Wustenfuchs]

Taube, CRW Nevinson 1916.

[Holly6]

Not to get to far off thread:

As much as it hurts to see these, I applaud all of you for bringing the "human face" to the disaster that is all war. This, coupled with the photo's on other threads, are a major reason that those of us not versed in the intrinsic of WWI or II, lurk and appreciate your efforts.
The major problem I have had since I joined, is that how do I incorporate a representative collection of these powerful images into meaningful lessons for my students? I guess that's what they pay me for..
thanks for your time

[Wustenfuchs]

This is the information that came with the picture. Taken from the BBC History Trails series.

Taube
At first sight, the artist appears to simply demand an emotional response to the death of the child. Spread-eagled on the pavement, the child is completely unprotected and its death incidental to the attack and to the war. However, the title raises other questions. As war demanded the efforts of entire nations and as the technology of World War One developed, almost any target could be hit and its legitimacy justified. Judgement is not specifically against the individual pilots but against the means and methods of war.

The Taube (Taube translates as ‘dove’, taub as ‘death’ ) was a German two-seater, reconnaissance plane with the capacity to carry improvised armaments, such as bombs. These would be aimed and dropped by hand but with limited control. Both the title and the evidence of an explosion imply that this was the cause of death of the child. The assailant is deliberately excluded from the painting frame, the point being that they are out of sight and far removed both physically and emotionally from the scene, unable to control their attack or witness its ends.

World War One aircraft
The development of aircraft during World War One served a number of military purposes. Primarily, they could observe and assess military strength and be used to direct and assess the impact of artillery fire. But they also gave the opportunity to attack from above and to move the point of attack strategically and quickly. This was a threat that was understood in popular culture even before the war broke out, arousing fear and uncertainty amongst the civilian population.

The artist
CRW Nevinson was the most popular and controversial English artist of World War One. He served as a medical orderly in Belgium and London and under the influence of the Italian Futurists produced stark, graphic images of soldiers and landscape caught in the machinery of war. He was appointed an official war artist in 1917 and responded to the stalemate of the Western Front with images that reflected its bitter and endless disappointment.

[Holly6]

Originally Posted by Wustenfuchs

This is the information that came with the picture. Taken from the BBC History Trails series.

Taube
At first sight, the artist appears to simply demand an emotional response to the death of the child. Spread-eagled on the pavement, the child is completely unprotected and its death incidental to the attack and to the war. However, the title raises other questions. As war demanded the efforts of entire nations and as the technology of World War One developed, almost any target could be hit and its legitimacy justified. Judgement is not specifically against the individual pilots but against the means and methods of war.

The Taube (Taube translates as ‘dove’, taub as ‘death’ ) was a German two-seater, reconnaissance plane with the capacity to carry improvised armaments, such as bombs. These would be aimed and dropped by hand but with limited control. Both the title and the evidence of an explosion imply that this was the cause of death of the child. The assailant is deliberately excluded from the painting frame, the point being that they are out of sight and far removed both physically and emotionally from the scene, unable to control their attack or witness its ends.

World War One aircraft
The development of aircraft during World War One served a number of military purposes. Primarily, they could observe and assess military strength and be used to direct and assess the impact of artillery fire. But they also gave the opportunity to attack from above and to move the point of attack strategically and quickly. This was a threat that was understood in popular culture even before the war broke out, arousing fear and uncertainty amongst the civilian population.

The artist
CRW Nevinson was the most popular and controversial English artist of World War One. He served as a medical orderly in Belgium and London and under the influence of the Italian Futurists produced stark, graphic images of soldiers and landscape caught in the machinery of war. He was appointed an official war artist in 1917 and responded to the stalemate of the Western Front with images that reflected its bitter and endless disappointment.

With permission, this will be copied and used with the picture. Thanks

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by Holly6

Not to get to far off thread:

As much as it hurts to see these, I applaud all of you for bringing the "human face" to the disaster that is all war. This, coupled with the photo's on other threads, are a major reason that those of us not versed in the intrinsic of WWI or II, lurk and appreciate your efforts.
The major problem I have had since I joined, is that how do I incorporate a representative collection of these powerful images into meaningful lessons for my students? I guess that's what they pay me for..
thanks for your time

Hal, I can help you out with some things as well. Expect a PM shortly.

[Tom Houlihan]

Originally Posted by Holly6

The major problem I have had since I joined, is that how do I incorporate a representative collection of these powerful images into meaningful lessons for my students? I guess that's what they pay me for..
thanks for your time

When I graduated from high school nearly 30 years ago, the history books showed only a few iconic photos/paintings of any of history's wars. Depending on the age level, there are many photos here that illustrate the periphery and aftermath of these battles.

There is much that can show the horror and devastating effects of war on both the active participants and the bystanders. Even something as simple as a rifle stuck in the ground with a helmet, at the head of a mound of earth, can be very powerful.

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by Tom Houlihan

When I graduated from high school nearly 30 years ago, the history books showed only a few iconic photos/paintings of any of history's wars. Depending on the age level, there are many photos here that illustrate the periphery and aftermath of these battles.

There is much that can show the horror and devastating effects of war on both the active participants and the bystanders. Even something as simple as a rifle stuck in the ground with a helmet, at the head of a mound of earth, can be very powerful.

Sometimes all that can be said is read in faces of those in such photos/renderings.

Mere words pale by comparison.

[cyberia]

Drawing made of the famous Christmas Truce of 1914 by Bruce Bairnsfather, a soldier who was there.

[cyberia]

A time worn German wartime drawing of pencil and watercolor,
showing two praying soldiers wearing flamethrower equipment before going into battle.