War of Images, Images of War - Getty Museum

"There were many words that you could not stand to hear and finally only the names of places had dignity. Abstract words such as glory, honor, courage, or hallow were obscene."

-Ernest Hemingway

This quote by American novelist and World War 1 veteran Ernest Hemingway summarizes a shifted attitude towards what many people now call the Great War. In the beginning millions of young men flocked to local recruitment centers, thinking that the conflict would be a rite of passage, a quick test of bravery as their nation quickly overwhelmed the opposition. Little did they know of the horror and suffering that would linger over Europe for years to come. This was the first war where modern technology was applied on an industrial level: it was the first time that the world saw chemical weapons and the widespread use of machine guns. One of the themes I noticed while looking at the artwork of the time was the shift of hatred towards the enemy to a warning about the perils of war.

A map depicting the Triple Entente defending itself from invaders

The portrayal of a German gunning down a helpless child.

To create national pride, countries tried to channel their energy into fighting a national enemy. French propaganda portrays Germany as a bully in an attempt to instill hatred. Published in  1915, this scene represents the enormity of Germany's threat to France and all others. Likewise, the French were not the only ones to use this tactic. The Triple Alliance, made of Germany, Italy, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, depict themselves as the hero and the enemy as the instigator.

Later artwork of the time featured a more disturbing perspective of the war. Many artists who went to war looking for inspiration found suffering and darkness, a theme that is consistent over the later part of the war. They saw the mechanization of war in the form of mass death from the international, industrial war machines. Chemical weapons, machine guns, flamethrowers, and tanks revolutionized how wars would be fought from that point forward. With the increase in killing capability came an increase in the death toll in the war. Artwork from this time reflects the fear and chaos surrounding the Great War. With the beginning of a new age in terms of warfare and industry, the art associated with this time frame saw a shift from optimism and nationalism to a darker theme marking the effects war can have on the human psyche.


References:

de Groux, Henry. Massacre. 1914-1916. Etching with soft ground etching. Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Iribe, Paul. After The Execution. Jan 1915. Color woodcut and letterpress. Getty Museum, Los Angeles

"Prologue." The Great War, and the Shaping of the 20th Century. PBS. KCET/Los Angeles and BBC. 10 Nov 1996. Television

Sass, Erik. "12 Technological Advances of World War 1." Mental Floss. Mental_floss.com. 17 Oct 2013. Web. 11 Apr 2015

Trier, Walter. Map of Europe in the Year 1914. Nov 1915. Map/illustration. Getty Museum, Los Angeles