The Depictions of War Through Time

Sarah Prather
11/30/2012
Art 252
The Depictions of War through Time Works of art have depicted many narratives of war. Most of these images describe the events of war but also in describing the war they also show the general attitudes. Attitudes of this have been changing as wars have advanced from the power of kingdoms to antiwar views. Many of these changes took place as artists started to gain creative freedom. Four images that express the depictions of war through time are an Ancient Greek Amphora dating back to 530 B.C., The Third of May 1808 by Francisco Goya, Guernica by Pablo Picasso and Famine Victim in a Feeding Center by James Nachtwey. The black figures amphora is an early example of historical narrative. This amphora shows two foot soldiers with spears and shields prepared to battle. They wear the Corinthian helmets that are characterized by the cut outs around the eyes. This amphora dates back to 530 B.C. During this time the depiction of war shows glory and status. This amphora shows the elegant battle scenes the two soldiers poised about to strike. Many amphora’s like this one have afforded great pleasure to an aristocratic class that placed considerable emphasis on military valor and athletic competition. The soldier and his armor was a status symbol of serving ones city. As for the soldier, his armor was expensive equipment was usually paid for by the hoplite, military service became not only a distinction of citizenship, but also a symbol of wealth and social status. The Third of May 1808 by Francisco Goya is a powerful painting, being painted in 1814, Goya made this in response to the French Occupation of Spain. During this time Madrid’s people resulted in the vicious fighting that slaughtered both sides that lasted for six years. This painting shows the mass execution that Goya probably saw firsthand. In this painting Goya shows the audience the powerful force of history. He shows a Spanish rebel with his arms raised almost as if he is asking for mercy. Most of the attention of the painting is drawing the audience to the left side of the painting; many of the rebels faces are covered in morning as multiple bodies have already been executed. As this painting is consumed with the fear in death it also in reverse the executioners show no mercy or fear. Goya created images that were unambiguously anti-war; many depictions of war before this time were elegant like Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West, the General is peacefully dying with the theme in Lamentation over the Dead Christ. Guernica by Pablo Picasso. This painting was created in response to the bombing of Guernica on April 26 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. This not only describes the consequences of war, but was a historic event in itself. Picasso painted his overwhelming emotional reaction to the bombing of Guernica, Spain during the Spanish Civil War. This painting also shows the suffering of people, animals as well as the destruction of buildings among the chaos. In this painting there is a great amount symbolism. The overall scene is held in the room of a building where the bombing may have taking place. On the left side of the painting we see a bull standing over a woman who is mourning the loss of a child in her arms. The center focal point of the picture is of a horse that has been speared and has a large wound. Under this horse Picasso give the image of a dismembered soldier still grasping a sword in his hand. This painting remains one of the most successful anti-war images created. Famine Victim in a Feeding Center by James Nachtwey, this photograph taken in Sudan 1993. In this breathtaking photograph we see a man who is just a skeleton and can’t even hold his own weight. We see what famine has done; but as well as what famine has done we also see the strength and hope in this man because he still has the will to move even if it is just a crawl. In Sudan and many other countries like this the government uses famine as genocide instead of “wasting bullets.” They push the farmers and their families of their land selling it along with their livestock and make them suffer to the brink of not even being human anymore. With James Nachtwey he shows the audience something that makes them uncomfortable. With this photograph of war it’s not always bombs and bullets but it is also taking away ones humanity. As these different pieces of art were depicted through history we see how war has gone through being something that was once glorified like the Ancient Greeks to anti-war photographs such of the many presented by James Nachtwey. We see much of the attitude has changed as well like in Picasso’s Guernica we feel with the painting.

Bibliography

http://www.ted.com/talks/james_nachtwey_s_searing_pictures_of_war.html
"Guernica (painting)." Wikipedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Guernica_%28painting%29&oldid=101042933>
Warfare in Ancient Greece
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warfare_in_ancient_Greece