The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art houses a multitude of visual art pieces from various periods in time. Most popular might be French Impressionism, or Baroque Period art, but perhaps most pertinent to our current geopolitical surroundings is the relatively new exhibit, War and Suffering 1914-1945: Artists Respond.
The exhibit focuses on art created in the aftermath of both WWI and WWII, attempting to demonstrate the harsh physical and mental toll war has on both its soldiers and the people on the homefront. Throughout the exhibit, viewers can see the ties between each piece and how human experience plays into the art.
The War and Suffering exhibit can be found in gallery P13, a hallway through 17th century- 19th century European art exhibits P14-P23. Walking around these galleries, the paintings stand out as luxurious and whimsical in contrast to the bleak war exhibit. Prominent art styles include Italian and French baroque art, marked by dramatic representations of religious figures and lush depictions of natural scenes. Romanticism in the late 19th century is also prevalent, with many paintings of whimsical fairytale scenes, and idealistic portrayals of society. P13 bisects these exhibits, interrupting the dreamy art with jarring representations of the horrific effects of war.
In the exhibit, works from German, French, Spanish, Italian, Austrian and American artists are represented. Although some of these artists would be considered on “opposing sides” of the wars, every piece conveys the same anti-war message. The different perspectives of the war, however, offer interesting insight into the artist’s individual response to conflict.
Otto Dix was a German artist with two pieces in the exhibit, both of which are etchings of harsh scenes of death and violence during war. One of the works Die Barricade (1922) is a critical commentary on Germany’s treatment of German men during the war. He etched a German man being treated as a human barricade, and portrayed the German officials as evil and uncaring as the lower classes sacrificed their lives for the cause.
Pablo Picasso, a vehement opponent to the war, is represented with his perspective as a Spaniard of fascist influence pre-WWII. His piece The Dream and Life of Franco I, II (1937) shows negative depictions of General Franco, a fascist leader in Spain. He used his art to resist fascist rule, while also portraying the negative effects of war. He drew women being ripped away from their homes with their small children in clutch, and men dying brutally on the frontlines.
Georges Roualt, a French man, framed his opposition to the war by representing religious figures in contrast with the violence of war. Although the despair of the war is chronicled throughout Rouault’s etchings, the religious themes also offer a sense of hope and an escape from the reality of war.
The pieces are varied in their content, some portray children victimized by war, others depict soldiers maimed in conflict and some are hopeful scenes of a religious savior.
Most of the art follows a simplistic style, with harsh lines and relatively little color demonstrates the forced minimalism of the time. The often choppy drawings demonstrate the rushed nature of the war. Many of the drawings drawn on the front were done quickly, especially those that displayed the everyday life of soldiers.
There are a few exceptions to the non-color rule. For example, Hiroshima by Harry Louis Freund made an oil painting version in color, and then a lithograph in B+W. The lithograph, titled I Cry From Darkness, portrays a burnt skull, with gaunt under eye bags and textured lines, reminiscent of a burnt skull.
Missouri artist Thomas Hart Benton’s beautiful depiction of the Midwestern countryside utilizes his classic, fluid, soft figures while capturing the anxiety and trepidation of the war at home. A woman, eagerly reading a letter from a loved one at war, is illuminated by the solemn light of a lantern. This section is the only lighted portion of the entire painting, demonstrating a sliver of hope in an otherwise hopeless time.
Next is Suffer Little Children by Bernard Joseph Steffen, a cartoonish lithograph of children cowering in a crumbling building while violence surrounds them. Despite the content and message of the work being very clear, the children are shown with exaggerated proportions. The drawings of the figures are like Dr. Seuss cartoons, childish and overemphasized.
All of the paintings aim to dictate the resounding art movement of cynicism, first introduced with the desolation of the first World War and continued through the Second World War
Many of these pieces serve to contradict fascist governments and resist the oppressive powers during the war. Many of the German artists were targeted by their own governments and their art was deemed “degenerate” by the Nazi party.
The german artist, Max Beckmann was one of the artists targetted by the Nazi party during their censorship campaign. His piece in the Nelson exhibit, The Night (Die Nacht) is an emotional portrayal of all of the horrors of war. Because of his provocative, expository art, Max Beckmann was driven out of Germany and discredited as an artist.
This exhibit is very influential and offers a deeper understanding of the effects of war. As Liane Bdair ‘24 put it, “art and literature are a huge part of society.”
These paintings all aimed to communicate feelings of utter desolation, but also a glimmer of hope to escape a war torn. Resoundingly, however, these paintings explain the destructive power of war, and why it should never be glorified. With their own experiences or the experiences of those close to them, these artists have artfully portrayed suffering in a way that we can be empathetic to, and all should take time to visit the exhibit.
