The Art Of War

It is a sad consequence of human existence that armed conflict is part of our reality. Even as I write this, the shadow of war looms over western Europe as Russia invades Ukraine. Innocent victims on both sides of the the conflict will no doubt be claimed, and indeed, are being claimed. But it's not the purpose of this blog to take a political stance on such issues; the purpose of this blog, as with all things, is to look at our human experience through the lens of an artist.

So today, in light of current events, I'll be discussing the art of war.

Of course, when I speak of the art of war, I am not referring to the book that is attributed to the ancient Chinese strategist Sun Tzu. This book may be considered by some to be a work of art in itself, viewed from a literary standpoint. Perhaps at another time I will consider an in-depth analysis of this work, but for now I'm going to deal primarily with visual works that reference war.

Francisco Goya, The Third of May 1808, 1814

First up is a painting that has always made an impression on me; The Third Of May 1808, by Francisco Goya. I've already discussed Goya and how impactful some of his work has been for me. Portraying the Spanish resistance to Napoleon's invasion during the Peninsular War, this painting stands out from most prior depictions of war due its stark bluntness.

Pablo Picasso is another artist I've mentioned and he too was at points in his career said to influenced by the above work of Goya, specifically when he created the piece, Massacre in Korea.

Massacre In Korea by Pablo Picasso, oil on plywood 1951

Massacre In Korea is similar in many respects to Third Of May in depicting the horrible truth of armed conflict. Even so, this masterful work of often overshadowed by Guernica, which preceded it in Picasso's anti-war series. Picasso painted in in response to the 1937 Nazi Germany bombing of the town of Guernica.

Guernica, by Pablo Picasso, 1937 oil on canvas

Personally, I think Massacre is the better depiction; you have terrified women (some of whom are pregnant) and children standing helpless before an armed squadron of soulless, robotic gunmen. Of course, Guernica's reputation is well deserved; bodies here are dismembered and you see a mother crying for her dead child. War isn't pretty, and in both paintings Picasso puts it right in our faces.

I prefer images like these over the more so-called 'historical' paintings, such as Emaneul Leutze's George Washington Crossing the Delaware. This is a highly idealized image that doesn't come close to reflecting the true state of war, or even historicity of the actual event it's meant to portray. I'm not saying that portrayals like this are no good; certainly they have their place, but for my money, so to speak, I prefer paintings like The Third Of May 1808.

Emaneul Leutze, George Washington Crossing the Delaware

After all, if you are going to portray or depict images of war, show it for what it is; a horrific event that results in tragic loss of life, destruction of property, and scarring on those involved, both physically and psychically. One final painting that does an excellent job of showing us just that is Otto Dix's Triptychon Der Krieg (War Triptych).

Otto Dix, Triptychon Der Krieg (War Triptych) completed 1932

Conscripted into the Imperial German Army in 1915, Dix experienced the tragedy of war up close and personal. Just look at this center panel. It makes The Third Of May look like a spring picnic.

This is what makes art and artists so important. The mainstream media will often show us what they want us to see, or at the very least what they think we want to see. But authenitic artists like Otto Dix will always be needed to show us things as they really are.

Next time.