Early Modern Blog Exhibit

 WWI Influence on Early Modern Art

Also known as the Great War, World War I lasted from 1914 until 1918. This consisted of the allies; France, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, and later the United States. And the Central Powers; Austria-Hungary (the Habsburg Empire), Germany, and the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). Following the end of WWI, a new geo-political landscape emerged from the downfall of three empires: Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian. Despite the preceding development of early modern art, the wake of the war truly catalyzed artistic culture and styles. 

Today's well known German painter, George Grosz, was urged at a young age. With time, he developed his skills and attended the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and later studied at the Berlin College of Arts and Crafts. Grosz volunteered for the military service in November of 1914 and it was during this time he observed war first hand. After being discharged in 1917, Grosz turned his efforts towards using his art as a social critique. 

Grosz's The Pillars of Society was created in 1926 and is now held at the Nationalgalerie in Berlin. This painting is a sarcastic depiction of the German elite class who supported fascism. Grosz indulged in the style of caricature to accentuate his portrayal of grotesque, nightmarish figures. This artistic element creates a hyperbolic illustration of the characters, almost as if they walked out of an animation. There is nothing lighthearted about this painting, the deep colors used steers the tone towards disgust and hatred. There is subtle symmetry in the facial expressions as you work your way up the painting from the bottom. At first glance I recoiled from this painting. I immediately felt repulsed from each of the characters. I don't find this painting to be aesthetically appealing, but I do find it to be a powerful statement and reflection of the time period. 

Otto Dix was born in Untermhaus, Germany; which is not a part of the city of Gera. He had an apprenticeship between 1906 and 1910 with the painter Carl Senff. During this time, he focused on the beginnings of his landscape paintings. Following 1910, he joined the Kunstgewerbeschule in Dresden. He held a style of realism that later shifted into expressionism. At the beginning of WWI, Dix volunteered for the German Army. After three years spent serving in the hostile environments, he was severely affected by the sights of the war. His traumatic experiences are reflected through his works. 

Shock Troops Advance Under Gas was created in 1924 as part of Dix's portfolio named The War. The War is a compilation of fifty graphic images that details the harsh reality of time spent in WWI. Dix was motivated to neither glorify or heroize the soldiers. He only wanted to illustrate his perspective. This art piece is from his memories of fighting in the trenches. Shown above, five soldiers are advancing on enemy lines through No Man's Land during a gas attack. 

Dix creates texture in the haze that the soldiers are emerging from; giving a thick and menacing look. The masks gave the soldiers a very inhumane appearance. I would not own a copy of this piece, as it is very foreboding and uneasy. It makes me wonder what kind of experiences Dix and other troops had gone through. I cannot wrap my head around what the trenches were like. 

Max Beckmann was a German painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, and writer. He was associated with the New Objectivity, which was a subculture of expressionism that contradicted the introverted aspect of emotionalism. Beckmann volunteered as a medic in WWI and was deeply traumatized to the point of transforming his artistic style. His experiences reshaped his traditional styles into distortions of figures. 

Beckmann created The Night between 1918 and 1919. This piece does not reflect a scene from war, but rather intended to portray the horrors of mankind brought from war. I don't feel any appealing emotions towards this piece; actually makes me feel sick to see what the intruders are doing. I think Beckmann was smart to create a scene outside of war to remind people that human nature is being reshaped on and off the battlefields. Despite how uncomfortable I feel seeing this piece, I realized how powerful the message is. All the horrors in history brought out from war shouldn't be forgotten, and I feel that artists like Max Beckmann realized the importance of this. 

Works Cited

"Max Beckmann." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Nov. 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Beckmann

Australia, National Gallery of "The Art of War." The Art of War- Otto Dix's Der Krieg cycle 1924, National Gallery of Australia, https://nga.gov.au/dix/

"George Grosz." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Nov. 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Grosz