War Seminar/Art and War

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This is a learn by doing project where Wikiversity participants explore how war is depicted in art and the roles that artistic depictions of war play in society.

Guernica

In her book Art and war, Laura Brandon described Pablo Picasso's painting Guernica as perhaps the twentieth century's "most powerful anti-war statement" (Introduction, page 2).

Learn by doing

Perform a w:Google image search for "Guernica". How many "Guernica" images are on the internet?

Photojournalism

Three dead Americans lie on the beach at Buna, by George Strock, Life magazine, Sept. 20, 1943

U.S. forces inflict heavy casualties on Japs in capture of Buna, New Guinea, by U.S. Army, 1943

US war casualties at Dover Air Force Base

Photos of dead American soldiers were published for the first time during World War II in Life magazine at the urging of President Roosevelt who feared that the American public was growing complacent about the toll of war. [1] [2] The U.S. government had prevented publication of such photographs during the early months of the war fearing that it would be too demoralizing to the public. [3] This is in contrast to photos of enemy casualties which were regularly published before this ban was lifted.

Compare the publication of the Battle of Buna-Gona photos in Life magazine to the controversy over the publication of photographs of flag-draped coffins of American military personnel killed in action. [4]

Contrast these journalistic photos to the depictions of war in art on this page and elswhere.

How do you feel about the publication of images such as these? How do the views expressed at The PG-Rated War and From the Archive: Not New, Never Easy compare to your thoughts?

Perspectives on War

My Lai massacre memorial site.

Learn by doing

Find pairs of works of art that depict a war or battle from the perspectives of two different combatants. If possible, add images of these works of art to this page.

Describe how the two depictions differ.

External Links

• Google Map of Battle Sites: valor and carnage expressed in paintings Zoom in on the famous paintings and battle scenes.
• Google Map of Le Train: The Rescuing of the German-Looted French Art Train

• Military art at Wikipedia