Early Modern Art Exhibit

    The early modern art period lasted from the 1860s through the 1940s. This period of art mainly focused on life, with scenes often outdoors. Specific moments were captured. Spiritual, emotional, raw, and dramatic vibes also took place in these pieces. This period was the foundation for contemporary art. 

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    World War I was a large war. There was trench warfare, new technology, and total war on a global scale, all because a Serbian nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary on June 28, 1914. Hungary declared war on Serbia and many other countries were pulled in for alliances. The U.S. joined in 1917 because of unrestricted submarine warfare. We also brought fresh troops helping tip the balance. Germany weakened, and the fighting stopped. November 11, 1918, at 11 AM. Germany was blamed for the whole war, and the harshness of this contributed to the rise of Hitler and World War II. 17 million were dead, and 20 million were wounded. 

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"Gased"

    “Gased” is an oil canvas piece made by John Singer Sergeant in 1919. The men in this painting were being gassed by a new substance called mustard gas. Mustard gas was a new weapon used in World War I. this piece shows men from these attacks and the chaos and horror of other men dead as they walk on them. The men are blindfolded because of the gas. It causes you to go blind. The paintings at this time are said to be used for propaganda, but this one is a document of "truth." This painting is considered one of the most important paintings of the 20th century. 

    The painting is in an offputting yellow color. Almost makes me feel sick looking at it. The green and yellow do a really good job representing the icky gas The painting is telling a story. I think the space is filled well. It tells us a story well enough that the amount of people on the ground isn't overwhelming. I dislike the painting because it makes me feel the emotions I don't want to feel.

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"Over the Top" 

    "Over the Top" is an oil canvas painting done by John Nash in 1918. The painting shows British soldiers leaving a trench to attack the enemy. Hence, "Over the Top." "Going over the top" was a scary command given to soldiers to leave the safety of the trench and fight in open ground. There is snow on the ground and it looks very cold. Since the scene is taking place during the war, men are lying dead in the snow. Even though there is a lot of white on the ground,  (the snow), the painting is very gloomy and dark. It represents the horror of warfighting on an open land where there's nowhere to hide but their trench. The painting captures that scary moment of soldiers leaving the trench going to fight. This piece is not as intense as "Gased," but it is still very scary. It represents the massive sacrifices these men made. It's also a very honest piece. It is a way to represent those men who sacrificed themselves and didn't make it back.

     This piece has four colors. Green, which are the men's suits. Brown, which visually is the the ground in the trench, but to me, it represents dirt and death. White, which is the snow, represents life. And gray, which are the explosions in the background, represent death. This has its space filled somewhat well. I know it's supposed to represent the sacrifice and amount of men killed in the situation, I just feel as if there are too many men in the peace. I like this painting better than "Gased", but it still gives me a weird feeling in my gut.

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"A Grey Day"

    "A Grey Day" is an oil canvas painting done by George Grosz in 1917. The painting is said to be a metaphor for the psychological weight of war. The boredom, the waiting, and the scared hopelessness day a person has a during the war. This painting shows a British soldier walking on a muddy dirt road. He looks weary and uneasy as if he is swallowed by his surroundings. The landscape is bare. No sign of life at all. Just exhausted and uneasy people walking in a gray, beige town. The sky almost blends in with the ground, making a sense of bleakness. The painting isn't about the battle itself. It's about the reality of the behind-the-scenes of the war. It paints a mental picture of emptiness, colorless, lives, and numb feelings. It also gives you a sense of what war is not. Identity color, joy, and energy. This piece doesn't show violence like the last two, but it is just as devastating. The emotionless vibe this piece puts off is energy draining. This piece puts me in such a dreary mood. I do not like this piece. I do not like how it makes me feel. The space is filled well. Even with how empty it is, it's still filled in and spaced out well. 

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Sources:

Tate. “Aftermath.” Tate, https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/aftermath/exhibition-guide

“Gassed by John Singer Sargent.” Imperial War Museums, https://www.iwm.org.uk/gassed-by-john-singer-sargent

Jones, Simon. ““Pure Murder”: John Nash’s “over the Top.”” Simon Jones Historian, Simon Jones Historian, 31 Dec. 2017, https://simonjoneshistorian.com/2017/12/31/over-the-top/

“Early Modern Art History | Art History.” Kunstgeschichte.philhist.unibas.ch, 

https://kunstgeschichte.philhist.unibas.ch/en/home/divisions/early-modern-art-history/#:~:text=The%20field%20of%20early%20modern,fifteenth%20to%20the%20nineteenth%20centuries.

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