The Trench Warfare by Otto Dix

        
     The Trench Warfare, by Otto Dix, was painted in 1932 (History World). The paintings is Otto Dix's way of criticizing society and portraying the effects of World War I and for the world to see. As a german painter he is known for depicting despair and portraying the brutalities of war. When World War I first broke out, Dix joined the German Army from 1914 to 1918 and after illustrated the devastating sights of war and his personal experiences through paintings (Otto Dix). Later in his life during WWII, Dix was regarded as a degenerate artist, when the Nazis came into power, who did not accept his brutal and realistic view of war in Germany (Otto Dix). Because of war Otto Dix was able to experience it first-hand and create his own unique meaning of war and show it to the world.

       For four years, Otto Dix created a panel known as The Trench Warfare that depicts disfigured soldiers and a violent representation of the effects of WWI. His painting is specifically portrayed of Berlin, where Otto Dix witnessed bloodshed and death commonly while serving in the army (Otto Dix).  Dix's Trench Warfare was during the Expressionist phase and was influenced by Dadaism, where he incorporates the expressionism of despair and collage elements from Dadaism (History-World). The painting depicts dismembered and decaying bodies after a battle during WWI. In the central panel a soldier’s face is covered by a gas mask, an element that is identifiable to Otto Dix since he was a German soldier. On the left is a survivor collapsed in a trench surrounded by corpses’ with a skeleton hanging on a tree branch. The features of The Trench Warfare is famous for illustrating the war with realistic details. It shows people and their society what war causes and how it is seen. The painting altogether takes the illusion of war to morbid levels by including mangled figures of soldiers and the destruction of war surrounding them. Everything in the painting is disturbing including the colors that leave a grave tone. Dix's painting is his message to society and his thoughts of WWI; which expresses the repercussions of war and its destruction.   

       This painting ties with my theme because it represents the effects of war and the impact it has on people and society. The result of war is shown through the painting and focuses on a harsh and realistic depiction, where destruction could have been avoided or reduced had not the strive for power and territory increased. Dix's painting does not portray soldiers in combat but rather on the verge of death.  This also connects with my theme of The Impact of War where the painting expresses the impact in a negative light. 

"Otto Dix".  (2011, April 27) Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Dix#Post-war_artwork

"History-World". (2011, April 24). World War I, Otto Dix. http://history-world.org/otto_dix.htm


"The Trench Warfare" (image) http://www.uncp.edu/home/rwb/dix.wartriptych.jpg