Remembrance

As the centenary of the opening engagement of the Great War on 28 July 1914 approaches, its a useful time to ponder the meaning of such remembrances. As a war gamer and history buff it's terribly easy to look forward to the various big dates ahead. One must temper this enthusiasm with the more somber reality of the events we recall.

This cataclysmic conflict saw over 9 million combatants killed in a style of warfare driven by technological and industrial sophistication. Yet, it wallowed in tactical stalemate at immense cost to society and the environment. The impact of the war was wide reaching, and had many legacies - it's well worth having a look at the summary of these by the Wall Street Journal: 100 Legacies of the Great War.

Much of the horror of war can be glimpsed in the work of artists and poets of the time - it is by making occasional reference to these works that I hope to curb my boyish enthusiasm for this event.

After a Push, C.R.W. NEVINSON
The battle-scarred landscape remains deserted with great water-filled craters. In the distance, a series of broken trees line the horizon and exploding shells remind us of the proximity of war. This work is a critical response to the meaningless destruction of landscape in war.
Source: Imperial War Museum, reproduced at http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/20212

After a Push, C.R.W Nevinson, with thanks to the Imperial War Museum

The Harvest of Battle, C.R.W. NEVINSON.
This work was commissioned by the Ministry of Information for the Hall of Remembrance alongside Sargent's, 'Gassed'. Nevinson describes how he produced the sketches for this work during a trip to Passchendaele with a fellow officer: 'We arrived at Ypres, and while he went to the Officers' Club I wandered on up towards the Salient and obtained notes and rough sketches for my painting, 'Harvest of Battle'.' (CRW Nevinson, Paint and Prejudice, 1937) Nevinson provides his own description of this work in a letter to Alfred Yockney from the Ministry of Information on 11 June 1919: 'A typical scene after an offensive at dawn. Walking wounded, prisoners and stretcher cases are making their way to the rear through the water- logged country of Flanders. By now the Infantry have advanced behind the creeping barrage on the right, only leaving the dead, mud, & wire; but their former positions are now occupied by the Artillery. The enemy is sending up SOS signals and once more these shattered men will be subjected to counter-battery fire. British aeroplanes are spotting hostile positions.'
Source: Imperial War Museum, reproduced at http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/20223

The Harvest of Battle, C.R.W. NEVINSON. 1919, with thanks to the Imperial War Museum