Early Modern

 

Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen (French [born Switzerland], 1859–1923). Mobilization, or La Marseillaise, 1915. Etching, sheet: 25 11/16 x 19 11/16 in. (65.2 x 50 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1924 (24.58.31)

 

This etching by Steinlen depicts when France mobilized their troops for World War 1 in August of 1914. The assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the catalyst for the war. This is such an exciting piece of art because the masses of people all blur together; there aren’t a lot of definite shapes or details on their faces. Yet, you can feel the emotion in this mob, the shouts and raising of their fists and hats, all guided by a being in the sky. Many straight lines in different directions create this piece; it's quite simple, primarily grey-toned, with simple windows and flags adorning the buildings. Such a simplistic work, and it still exudes such vigor.

“La Marseillaise / the Mobilisation | Graphic Arts.” Princeton University, The Trustees of Princeton University, graphicarts.princeton.edu/2015/05/13/la-marseillaise-the-mobilisation/. Accessed 22 July 2024.

La Marseillaise / The Mobilisation | Graphic Arts (princeton.edu)

John Singer Sargent, ‘Gassed’ (1919)

The British government commissioned a group of paintings towards the end of WWI as a memorial to the dead. The group wanted to display the paintings in a gallery known as the Hall of Remembrance. The plan ran out of time and money, but some paintings were still created. Sargent was sent to France in July 1918 to gather visual materials at the Front. This scene shows young British soldiers temporarily blinded by a gas attack. When this was first displayed in public in 1919, it made some people ill.

 

This photo is well-balanced, and I don’t seem to focus on one spot. It is heartbreaking to view this, seeing all the dead and wounded lying there as the blinded soldiers march, holding on to each other. The green, almost orangish blends are all very similar and washed out in this photo but work well with the depressed mood it conveys. Gas was a terrifying modern warfare tactic that has since been outlawed in warfare.

 

“10 Incredible Paintings from the Hall of Remembrance Series.” Imperial War Museums, www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-incredible-paintings-from-the-hall-of-remembrance-series. Accessed 22 July 2024.

 

10 Paintings From The Hall Of Remembrance | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk)

Paul Nash, ‘The Menin Road’ (1919)

 

Artists such as Paul Nash were sought out by the British War Memorials Committee because of their art style and their direct experience of the war. Paul Nash said he wanted to “…rob the war of the last shred of glory, the last shine of glamour..”

This is a scene from the Battle of Flanders. The road is decimated, and two soldiers can be seen moving through the rubble.

This painting is strangely easy on my eyes. It’s almost symmetrical, or rather balanced, the spacing of the big vertical trees is balanced, the shadows they throw are at a similar angle to what appears light coming from the clouds. The light brownish grey ground and the cool blue sky gives it an eerie feel even though the painting isn’t dark. Other than the rubble this scene makes me think of walking in remote places in Alaska with the mountains, and tall thin trees without branches.

Just like the painting Gassed, this image is simple. There isn’t fine detail work or flashy colors, and your eye isn’t drawn into a singular spot.

 

“10 Incredible Paintings from the Hall of Remembrance Series.” Imperial War Museums, www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-incredible-paintings-from-the-hall-of-remembrance-series. Accessed 22 July 2024.

 

10 Paintings From The Hall Of Remembrance | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk)