Artistic Reaction to the War and the Modern Era

Disillusionment Unhappiness because you have lost your belief that

something is good or true.

Which of the paintings above reflects the romantic view of war? (Explain)

Which of the paintings above do you believe could lead to a sense of disillusionment? (Explain)

Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix

Gassed by John Singer Sargent

Lost Generation

• Americans writers and artist after WWI, who experiencing disillusionment, move to Europe.

• Ernest Hemmingway

• F. Scott Fitzgerald

• T.S. Elliot

• Isadora Duncan

• Gertrude Stein, and others

Ernest Hemingway – A Farewell to Arms (1929)

“If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break, it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.”

1. What is Hemingway’s point-of-view (opinion) about the effect of the war?

2. How would you relate this quote to the disillusionment of war – which was felt by many after WWI?

F. Scott Fitzgerald – This side of Paradise

(1920)

“Ours was a new generation grown up to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, all faiths in man shaken.”

1. What is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s authors point-of-view concerning how the war affected his generation?

2. How would you relate this to the disillusionment of war – which was felt by many after WWI?

Gertrude Stein

“All of you young people who served in the war. You are a lost generation…You have no respect for anything.”

1. What do you think Stein meant by saying that “you are a lost generation”?

2. How would you relate this quote to the disillusionment of war – which was felt by many after WWI?

Abstract – no indications of “real” objects, instead focus upon inner thoughts and feelings.

Cubism – attempt to simplify life into geometric lines and shapes.

Surrealism – reflection of the unconscious mind which produce images that may appear out of context.

Abstract – no indications of “real” objects, instead focus upon inner thoughts and feelings.

Arshile Gorky’s Liver is the Cock’s Comb (1944)

Cubism – attempt to simplify life into geometric lines and shapes.

Georges Braque’s La Tasse (1911)

Surrealism – reflection of the unconscious mind which produce images that may

appear out of context.

Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory (1931)

Vassily Kandinsky – Improvisation No. 30 (1913)

1. What colors, shapes and objects are featured?

2. In what ways do you think Improvisation is a reflection of a fear of a coming war? (WWI 1914-1918)

3. Is this abstract, cubism, surrealism? Why?

1. What colors, shapes and objects are featured?

2. In what ways do you think Improvisation is a reflection of the modern era?

3. Is this abstract, cubism, surrealism? Why?

Fernand Leger - Le Remorqueur (1920)

1. What colors, shapes and objects are featured?

2. In what ways do you think Improvisation is a reflection of the modern era?

3. Is this abstract, cubism, surrealism? Why?

Rene Magritte – On the Threshold of Liberty (1929)

1. What colors, shapes and objects are featured?

2. In what ways do you think Improvisation is a reflection of war? (WWI 1914 -1918)

3. Is this abstract, cubism, surrealism? Why?

Picasso – Guernica (1937)

1. What shapes and objects are featured?

2. In what ways do you think Guernica is a response to war?

3. Is this abstract, cubism, surrealism? Why?

Choose one of the paintings or quotations and using the words disillusionment and war explain how this work best exemplifies this time period. Give specific evidence either by quoting text or describing the image.