"We are Making a New World" (1918)
Paul Nash - Official War Artist
Here is a painting by Paul Nash that represents "no man's land". "No man's land" was the area between enemy trenches in World War I. Oftentimes, this was the scariest part of the war because there was literally no protection from enemy fire. Therefore, most of the deaths occurred here when using trench warfare.
From this painting, one can see that this was a dismal, depressing place straight out of a horror movie. Nash was obviously influenced by this as he experienced the trenches for himself in 1917 after he enlisted in the Artists' Rifles, a volunteer regiment of the British Army. A few months later, Nash fell into one of the trenches and broke a rib, needing to return home to heal. It was during this recuperating period that he worked on his pieces from the front lines, including this piece.
This piece represents the horrors of trench warfare on the front lines of the Western front where he was deployed. The entire landscape is barren and dead, with nothing but what appear to be stumps of trees and a pock-marked field, a result of countless hours of fire on each side. One can see the sun peeking through the clouds and smoke over the mountains, symbolizing a few things.
The sun can represent a beacon of hope, lighting the way to the end of war. It shines over "no man's land", shedding light over a shadowy wasteland. But as this sun can represent hope for a brighter future, it shows the ugliness of the war at the same time. It lights up "no man's land" so everyone can see what destruction has taken place there. While previously in shadow, the shockingly corpse-like trees are now visible, and the evils of the Great War are now illuminated. All of humanity can now see the dead trees grasping at the air like a dead man's fingers, and they can see war for what it really is: death and destruction, not glory and heroism.
After returning home from the war, Nash made it his mission to educate the citizens of the world on what the war really was like. He did this through his paintings from the front lines, doing a great service to the world.
From this painting, one can see that this was a dismal, depressing place straight out of a horror movie. Nash was obviously influenced by this as he experienced the trenches for himself in 1917 after he enlisted in the Artists' Rifles, a volunteer regiment of the British Army. A few months later, Nash fell into one of the trenches and broke a rib, needing to return home to heal. It was during this recuperating period that he worked on his pieces from the front lines, including this piece.
This piece represents the horrors of trench warfare on the front lines of the Western front where he was deployed. The entire landscape is barren and dead, with nothing but what appear to be stumps of trees and a pock-marked field, a result of countless hours of fire on each side. One can see the sun peeking through the clouds and smoke over the mountains, symbolizing a few things.
The sun can represent a beacon of hope, lighting the way to the end of war. It shines over "no man's land", shedding light over a shadowy wasteland. But as this sun can represent hope for a brighter future, it shows the ugliness of the war at the same time. It lights up "no man's land" so everyone can see what destruction has taken place there. While previously in shadow, the shockingly corpse-like trees are now visible, and the evils of the Great War are now illuminated. All of humanity can now see the dead trees grasping at the air like a dead man's fingers, and they can see war for what it really is: death and destruction, not glory and heroism.
After returning home from the war, Nash made it his mission to educate the citizens of the world on what the war really was like. He did this through his paintings from the front lines, doing a great service to the world.
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