Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Otto Dix's Famous World War I Painting


Once again, this image is one that is an instant eye catcher. Oddly enough, at first glance this picture reminds me of my room, but after looking at it awhile, one can truly understand how intricately detailed Dix has portrayed this landscape to be.

From further research, I discovered that Otto Dix was actually a volunteer in the German army in World War I in a machine gun unit. Dix was part of the epic Battle of Somme, where he was wounded several times and eventually removed and placed on the eastern front for the remainder of the war. After the war, Dix painted several images that spoke to him throughout the war, this picture being one.

In this particular piece, Dix is portraying the horrors of war. The soldiers constantly had to wear gas masks shown by the only living man in the painting. The masks had a dark and haunting appearance and erased the faces of the soldiers. In the background, the barren landscape, perhaps "No Mans Land", is scarred with bullets from previous gunfights. The presence of the numerous bodies in this image is a constant reminder of the war, and how dangerous trench warfare usually was. If you think about it, you were either killed by gunfire or suffered terrible trench foot, and only the few lucky ones survived unscathed.

Upon further examination, I discovered a decaying body hanging from an arch in the center of the picture. Its appearance seems even worse than those dead in the trench, and oddly enough, the corpse seems to be looking down at those on the ground, making the element of death evident while almost mocking those still living.

Dix, most likely, was greatly scarred by the horrors of war. His artwork shows the reality of war, in death, decay, and sadness. His choice of colors eventuate on the severity and evident nature of death and overall provide a shocking, real image that makes people discover the terror of war.

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