War Art: To Condemn or Glorify

Jose Duran
ARTH 1304
Professor Sluis
December 15, 2021
 It is in nations’ best interest to avoid war; however, conflicts arise, bringing terror, chaos,

fear, and death to all participating countries. Humanity participates in battles repeatedly, and they

all share a common outcome; dead soldiers and mourning families. Some wars have logical

explanations; meanwhile, other wars are irrational and products of petty arguments. Overall, the

public agrees that the loss from participating in wars outweighs the possible advantages of

waging war against another country significantly.1 However, warfare recurs despite the advances

in diplomacy. Similarly, art is also reoccurring and makes itself known in times of social/cultural

controversies.

During wars, artists take advantage of the power of the art to condemn or glorify the

battles captured on their canvas. Art can evoke emotions in people later resulting in physical

actions.2 Artists expressed their opinions on the wars onto their paintings, thus causing an

emotional response from the viewer. Artistic creations have a purpose and a correct

interpretation.3 Artists can hope for people to understand what they are trying to say, but since

the interpretation of art is subjective, the audience may misinterpret their artwork; therefore,

causing a variety of responses.

This research paper will compare and contrast the theme of war and its implications in

three different artworks by analyzing the paintings’ historical background, the cultures of the

countries where the artworks originate, and the artists of the artworks. The three countries where

the paintings originate from are Spain, France, and Great Britain. Originating from Spain

1
James D. Fearon, “Rationalist Explanations for War,” International Organization 49, no. 3 (1995):
379–414.
2
Duncan Phillips, “Art and War,” The Bulletin of the College Art Association of America 1, no. 4 (1918):
24–37, https://doi.org/10.2307/3046321.
3
Robert Stecker, “Art Interpretation,” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 52, no. 2 (1994):
193–206, https://doi.org/10.2307/431166.
Francisco Goya’s, Y No Hay Remedio (1810), is one of the chosen artworks.4 Goya’s artwork is a

painting part of the collection, The Disasters of War. The collection consists of eighty-two plates

where Goya highlights the horrendous acts of war against his people.5 French artist Eugene

Delacroix created the second artwork chosen, and it is named Liberty Leading the People

(1830).6 Delacroix utilized oil on canvas to paint Liberty Leading the People in 1830 after

witnessing the July Revolution of 1830.7 The last artwork is from Great Britain by artist

Christopher R. W. Nevinson, and it is named Paths of Glory (1917).8 Christopher personally

witnessed the first world war as an official war artist for Great Britain and went to the front in

1917, where he was inspired to draw Paths of Glory.9 Goya and Nevinson used their art to

condemn and convey the brutality of war. Meanwhile, Delacroix used his painting to glorify and

idealize war.

Knowing the historical and cultural context behind the paintings in discussion is vital to

understanding the messages and the possible implications of society embedded on the canvas.

Goya, Delacroix, and Nevinson were talented artists who took their experiences and

immortalized them on a canvas. The experiences of Goya, Delacroix, and Nevinson involved

wars, so it is essential to understand the context of the events leading up to, during, and after the

wars. Goya’s plate, Y No Hay Remedio was produced during the Peninsular war in 1810.

Delacroix’s painting, Liberty Leading the People was made during the July Revolution of 1830, a
4
“Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) | Plate 15 from "The Disasters of War’ (Los Desastres de La
Guerra): ‘And There Is Nothing to Be Done.’ (Y No Hai Remedio.),” The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
accessed September 23, 2021, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/371423.
5
Andrew Robison, “THE DISASTERS OF WAR,” The Print Collector’s Newsletter 3, no. 6 (1973):
121–25.
6
“Liberty Leading the People,” Obelisk Art History, accessed September 23, 2021,
https://arthistoryproject.com/artists/eugene-delacroix/liberty-leading-the-people/.
7
“Liberty Leading the People | Description, History, & Facts,” Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed
September 25, 2021, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Liberty-Leading-the-People.
8
“Paths Of Glory,” Imperial War Museums, accessed September 23, 2021,
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/20211.
9
Charles E. Doherty, “Nevinson’s Elegy: Paths of Glory,” Art Journal 51, no. 1 (1992): 64–71,
https://doi.org/10.2307/777256.
three-day revolt in France. Nevinson’s Paths of Glory was created during the first World War in

1917. The context of the wars could provide essential details that could have influenced the

painting or vice versa.

Napoleon Bonaparte, France’s emperor, initiated the Peninsular War when France

invaded Portugal and Spain in 1808.10 Spain began as an ally to France, but Napoleon betrayed

Spain’s king, Ferdinand VII, forcing him to step down so Napoleon’s brother could take the

throne.11 Napoleon’s betrayal caused an uprising in Spain. Guerrillas, a people-driven militia,

were created to fight back against France. The cruel and horrifying exchanges between the

people of Spain and France’s army are captured in Goya’s paintings. The disturbing drawings of

Goya are said to be the first examples of war events not being glorified in art.12

Charles X the king of France placed strict rules that contradicted the ideas of the French

Constitution made previously. The people of France were extremely upset causing protests that

led to three days of battles between the people and the French monarchy.13 The revolt was

successful and Charles X left the throne to be replaced by Louis-Philippe.14 The quick response

of the people to the injustices of the French monarchy inspired Delacroix to make the iconic

Liberty Leading the People. The painting is a perfect representation of Delacroix’s idealism and

realism in art.

World War 1, one of the largest and deadliest wars that lasted from 1914-1918. The war

was fought between the central and allied powers. Nationalism, Imperialism, economic conflicts,

10
W. F. P. Napier (Rev. Ed. 1856, Repr. 1970), H. R. Clinton (3d Ed. 1890), C. W. C. Oman (7 Vol.,
1902-30), M. Glover, 1974.
11
ibid
12
Robison, “THE DISASTERS OF WAR.”
13
“July Revolution | French History,” Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed September 26, 2021,
https://www.britannica.com/event/July-Revolution.
14
ibid
among other factors led to the Great War.15 The alliances between nations led to a domino effect

that pulled the nations around the world into the war. Europe was the main battlefield and where

the majority of the destruction took place. Over 10 million people died as a result of the war and

its estimate is said to be optimistic.16 The high death toll explains the reason for Christopher

Nevinson’s “Paths of Glory”, most of what he saw was death.

The Glorification of war despite its gruesome and horrendous outcomes was prominent in

art to show prestige and pride. Over time, society has become more progressive and aware of the

destruction war brings to all parties. Artists have become activists through their artwork and use

their influence to express their disapproval of social-political issues such as war. However, war

could be necessary for certain situations and artists can also use their artwork to lift the spirits of

their country promoting their participation in the war effort. The specific personal experiences of

the artists in addition to the historical context allows for deeper understanding of the intention of

the artwork.

The first artwork that will be examined is from Francisco Goya who was one of the

witnesses to the atrocities the French military carried out against the civilians of Spain. Y No Hay

Remedio(1810) by Francisco Goya illustrates the vile consequences of war. Goya’s piece is part

of the collection, Los Desastres de la Guerra(1810), which consists of 82 prints that document

the bloodshed of the Peninsular War in Spain. The majority of the etchings were graphic and

explicit. Goya did not hold back in his art and he engraved his experiences into his etchings,

literally. The subjects of his prints are civilians, victims of the French military. Experiencing

violence and chaos for an extended period of time on a daily basis can cause psychological

damage that influences an individual's actions. Goya experienced the ruthless and merciless acts

15
“World War I | The Columbia Encyclopedia - Credo Reference,” accessed September 26, 2021,
https://search-credoreference-com.lscsproxy2.lonestar.edu/content/entry/columency/world_war_i/0.
16
ibid.
against his people therefore causing him to deal with psychological trauma that led to him

creating the collection Los Desastres de la Guerra where Y No Hay Remedio resides.

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military leader whose hunger for power soon led him

to become an emperor of France after a coup d’état.17 Prior to Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise in

power in France, he was an incredible military leader that had successfully performed invasions

for France as its military leader.18 However, Bonaparte wanted more power and in 1799 he

overthrew the French Directory and put himself as first council, successfully becoming the leader

of France.19 A few years later Bonaparte crowned himself the emperor of France.20 Bonaparte

continued to chase power and launched invasions against Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, and

Russia. Napoleon Bonaparte was attempting to become the emperor of Europe. Napoleon

Bonaparte took advantage of the alliance between France and Spain by deceiving the king of

Spain. Bonaparte claimed he was only passing through Spain to get to Portugal but some French

troops remained in Spain.21 The sudden invasion of France in Spain made Spaniards upset and

they soon began to organize a revolt. By the time Bonaparte had forced down the king of Spain,

Ferdinand, Spaniards had already begun to fight back the intruders.

May 2nd, 1808 marks the date that Spain fought back against the French Military. There

was news that the children of the Spanish royal family would be removed and sent to France.

Upon hearing the news, the people of Madrid gathered and tried to physically stop the removal

of the royal family’s children. Murat, a marshall and leader of the French cavalry, ordered his

men to stop the uprising. The French troops opened fire against the people and an outright

rebellion began. The people of Madrid could not stand a chance and most were slaughtered by
17
History com Editors, “Napoleon Bonaparte,” HISTORY, accessed November 17, 2021,
https://www.history.com/topics/france/napoleon.
18
Editors, “Napoleon Bonaparte.”
19
ibid
20
ibid
21
“Peninsular War | Definition, Battles, Dates, Significance, & Facts | Britannica.”
the troops. The next day, May 3rd, Murat ordered his troops to shoot anyone carrying a weapon

and even those who were not carrying any guns were still shot and killed.22 Murat believed the

brutality of the French troops against the people of Spain would prevent any other revolts from

occurring, but the events of May 2nd and 3rd sparked a revolution against the tyrannical rule of

the French across the nation.23

Francisco Goya, considered one of the most influential artists of Spain in the late 1700s

and early 1800s began his career creating joyful art, but in his later years his art shifted to a

gloomy and pessimistic form of art.24 Majority of his early paintings were portraits of aristocrats

and their families.25 Noticed by the royal family he was appointed painter to King Charles III and

later promoted to court painter by King Charles IV.26 Around 1793, Goya traveled to Cadiz and

in his journey got ill, but survived his illness and months later returned to Spain. Although Goya

overcame his illness he was left completely deaf.27 Despite Goya’s hearing condition in 1799 he

created eighty etchings in a collection named Caprichos (1799) and later that same year Goya

was promoted to first court painter.28 The progressive era with King Charles IV ended with the

rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and French invasion of Spain.

Upon the invasion of France, Goya swore allegiance to France even though he

completely disagreed with the violent actions they committed against his people.29 Goya was a

witness and a victim of the events of the Peninsular War that Bonaparte began in 1808.30 From
22
“Dos de Mayo Uprising | Summary | Britannica,” accessed November 17, 2021,
https://www.britannica.com/event/Dos-de-Mayo-Uprising.
23
“Dos de Mayo Uprising | Summary | Britannica,” accessed November 17, 2021,
https://www.britannica.com/event/Dos-de-Mayo-Uprising.
24
Authors: James Voorhies, “Francisco de Goya (1746–1828) and the Spanish Enlightenment | Essay | The
Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History,” The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History,
accessed November 17, 2021, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/goya/hd_goya.htm.
25
ibid
26
ibid
27
Ibid
28
Ibid
29
Ibid
30
“The Dating and Interpretation of Goya’s ‘Disasters of War,’” 2021, 16.
1810-1820, Goya created 82 plates using the unique technique of etching where he described the

war from his experiences.31 The 82 plates formed part of a collection named: Los Desastres de la

Guerra. Goya never published his collection; it was only later published in 1863 well after his

death. The etchings within the collection showed dark and traumatizing scenes from the fights

between Spain and France. Goya’s etchings are drastically somber in comparison to his earlier

works. Goya was forced to stay within Madrid while the conflict was ongoing, so he had the

awful opportunity to spectate the cruelty of mankind during the war.32

Francisco Goya’s, Y No Hay Remedio (fig.1), illustrates the execution of three men at the

hands of the military. There are two men who are blindfolded and tied to a wood post while there

is one single lifeless body laying next to one of the victims who is about to be executed. The

faces of the two men attached to the poles are extremely dark in comparison to the faces of the

military and the lifeless body laying on the floor. The body of the man laying on the floor seems

to have been recently shot as the wound left on his back appears to be bleeding and there is blood

coming out of his mouth. The largest subject in the artwork is still standing and has three rifles

aiming at him from the left edge of the painting. The focus of Goya’s artwork is the individuals

about to be executed.

Goya's Style in Fig.1 can be described as realistic. The etching has components that are

not fictional, and the subjects of the artwork can be found in the real world. The etching appears

to be a rough sketch, and the majority of the etchings that Goya produced share the same style.

Considering Goya did not plan to publish his artworks, it makes sense that they are not perfect or

are missing extraordinary attention to detail. Goya saw the executions of many civilians in Spain

at the hands of French troops. Goya chose to take a realistic style concerning this etching and his

31
Ibid
32
“The Dating and Interpretation of Goya’s ‘Disasters of War,’” 2021, 16.
entire collection to demonstrate the horrifying scenes he witnessed as a first court painter of

France in Spain. However, Goya never published his etchings, so there is a possibility that he

created these artworks to cope with the traumatizing sightings he witnessed.

Figure 1 has a rough texture and strategic organization of subjects. Goya creates a rough

texture in his etching by creating dark shadows and dark backgrounds with specific lines to

create an eerie atmosphere. The atmosphere created by the texture makes the audience

uncomfortable and makes them experience fear and sadness. The main subjects of the artwork

overlap to provide the audience with depth. Also, the size difference of the subjects behind the

subject closest to the front of the artwork creates depth. Goya uses this arrangement of subjects

to imply a row of individuals about to be executed behind the first three most visible subjects.

Goya poured his feelings onto his artwork, the same emotions he felt as he saw the crimes

against his people and was powerless to do anything to help. Goya wanted to leave his

traumatizing experiences on the piece of the copper plate.33

Goya does not put any direct identifiers that allow the audience to know the identity of

the aggressors and the victims. In figure 1, Goya does not provide any symbols or markings to

help the audience identify what nation or leader the military in the artwork serves. The same

applies to the victims who are about to be executed; their faces are not identifiable by nation

either. Within the context of the Peninsular War, Goya portrays the acts of the French military.

However, Goya does not emphasize the military in this etching or in any other of his etchings.

The emphasis of Goya’s artwork is the cruel acts against people. Goya wants to show the vicious

nature of humanity that he witnessed. As a consequence of war, unfortunately, Goya saw the

inhumane acts of humans against other humans and recorded them on a copper plate.

33
Roberta M Alford, “Francisco Goya and the Intentions of the Artist,” 2021, 17.
 Francisco Goya observed insane, inhumane acts against people and recorded what he

saw. Goya’s uncensored artworks showed grotesque and traumatizing scenes that no one would

hope to see. Goya shows his truth and the truth of the victims of such horrific acts in his

etchings. Due to Goya’s experiences, he had no option but to find a way to cope with what he

saw, and that was through art. Goya chose not to publish his etchings because they were not for

the public but him. Goya’s creations were a product of his own “anger, frustration, and

sympathy” for the people who were victims to the barbaric display of humanity.34

Goya was unable to express his opinions on the war at the time because his life and those

around him would have been victims of the same acts we see in his artworks. Goya began his

career expressing joy and spreading positivity. Still, the experiences later in his life led him to a

pessimistic and gloomy state of mind that left him with no option but to share what he had

experienced through his etchings. Experiencing war first-hand led to Goya condemning war and,

more importantly, the brutal acts that came with war through his artworks.

20 years after the creation of Y No Hay Remedio by Francisco Goya the July Revolution

occurred in France and the inspiring artist, Eugene Delacroix began painting Liberty Leading the

People (1830). Eugene Delacroix aside from being an artist took an admiration for the French

Revolution known as the July Revolution that occurred in 1830. Liberty Leading the People

(1830) by Eugene Delacroix celebrates the victory of the people of France as they successfully

revolted against Charles X. The revolution followed the passing of legislation that contradicted

the Charter of 1814, passed by Charles X.35 The Charter of 1814 was the French constitution that

protected and established many liberties that corresponded to the civilians of France.36 Charles X

34
“THE DISASTERS OF WAR,” 2021, 6.
35
“July Revolution | French History,” Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed September 26, 2021,
https://www.britannica.com/event/July-Revolution.
36
“Charter of 1814 | French History | Britannica,” accessed November 30, 2021,
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Charter-of-1814.
passed ordinances that opposed the liberties of the people and rightfully so the people revolted

and fought back as depicted by Delacroix’s painting. Delacroix’s bias towards the July

Revolution and positive personal experience of the revolt led to his idealized and glorified

depiction of the violent protests and revolts that occurred during the quick revolt.

The Revolution of 1830 was not as eventful as the previous revolution, it was short and a

quick revolt. On the 26th of July, Charles X passed legislation that invalidated some of the most

important sections of the Charter of 1814.37 One of the ordinances that Charles X passed was the

censorship of the press in France.38 A day later after the publishing of the ordinances on the 27th

of July the citizens of France gathered to protest and retaliate against the new orders of Charles

X.39 The protests turned into fighting and battles over the next three days from July 27 to July 29.

Within a week from the publishing of Charles X’s ordinances the people of France had abdicated

Charles X (on August 2nd) and proclaimed a new king, Louis-Philippe. 40 The quick execution of

the revolution is admirable and inspiring as it demonstrated that the people were not going to

stand for any injustices from their government.

The previous experiences with injustice in France could have possibly played a part in the

quick succession of events in the July Revolution. The people of France saw that history was

repeating itself as the government tried to take advantage of the power they were given for their

own benefit. The citizens of France acted fast and accordingly and the protests quickly turned

into violent fights between the people of France and the royal army.41 The people of France were

tired of the oppression from the previous revolution and so they acted quickly to prevent that

same scenario from happening again. The citizens of France were successful and they were
37
“July Revolution | French History.”
38
“About: July Ordinances,” accessed November 30, 2021, https://dbpedia.org/page/July_Ordinances.
39
Ibid
40
ibid
41
“Liberty Leading the People | Description, History, & Facts,” Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed September 25,
2021, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Liberty-Leading-the-People.
victorious in their mission to abdicate the king, Charles X. The events of the revolution

demonstrated the ability of freedom and justice to persevere.

Eugene Delacroix was known for his romanticized style of painting in the early

nineteenth century. Delacroix would argue that he was a classicist.42 Delacroix’s style of art was

very expressive and dramatic.43 In many of Delacroix’s paintings there was symbolism and

meaning behind his art. Delacroix style of painting inspired the symbolist movement of the late

nineteenth century.44 The symbolist movement started as a literary movement but soon artists

used the same idea and applied it to art in an effort to reject or defy naturalism.45 The notion

behind the symbolist movement is that art should be a representation of “emotion or idea”,

creating similar paintings that had characteristics of the romantic era earlier in the nineteenth

century.46 Delacroix criticized artists that identified as classisists as he argued that they were

simply imitating a style of art and that art should include emotion and meaning.47 To Delacroix

the artist needed to create a subjective feeling within his artwork.

Although Delacroix was most likely unable to directly participate in the July Revolution

of 1830 he was a witness of the resolve of the people and their protests against the king, Charles

X.48 The scenes he witnessed were enough to incite him to start painting immediately after the

events unfolded and Delacroix finished in three months.49 It is no surprise that the painting

Delacroix creates is not an exact copy of what he saw since he is not in favor of realism art.50
42
Stephanie Mora, “Delacroix’s Art Theory and His Definition of Classicism,” Journal of Aesthetic Education 34,
no. 1 (2000): 57, https://doi.org/10.2307/3333655.
43
“Eugene Delacroix - The Complete Works - Eugenedelacroix.Org,” accessed November 30, 2021,
https://www.eugenedelacroix.org/.
44
Ibid
45
Authors: Nicole Myers, “Symbolism | Essay | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art
History,” The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, accessed November 30, 2021,
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/symb/hd_symb.htm.
46
Ibid
47
Ibid
48
“Liberty Leading the People | Description, History, & Facts.”
49
Ibid
50
“Delacroix’s Definition of Art,” 2021, 6.
However, it would be interesting to see what delacroix would have painted if he participated in

the revolt himself.

In Liberty Leading the People (1830) by Eugene Delacroix, depicts a woman holding the

French flag and standing on top of debris as she looks back into the crowd behind her. To the

right of the woman there is a child holding two pistols and to her lower left there is what seems

to be a commoner looking up to her. On the bottom of the painting there are two bodies laying on

the ground next to the debris. The body on the left has a long sleeve shirt covering his torso, but

the lower half of his body is completely naked with only one sock on his foot. It is hard to tell

whether the body on the right is part of the royal army or civilians. The body on the right is

completely clothed, wearing a full outfit that is clear evidence that he was part of the royal army

as he is wearing a blue jacket that is clearly part of the uniform. Shifting our focus to the upper

left of the painting we see a crowd of people with weapons such as rifles and swords. Their faces

do not show any sign of fear, instead they demonstrate determination and grit. The outfits the

crowd is wearing are all different showing everyone comes from different social classes yet they

are coming together to fight.

The style that Delacroix uses in Fig. 2 is a mixture of realism and romanticism. The

subjects of the painting are not fictional although the event being depicted is not an exact copy of

the real events that occurred in the July revolution. The painting took three months to complete

and it is justified as the painting has good attention to detail. The buildings in the background,

the designs of the outfits, and the debris all have defined details almost identical to the outfits of

the civilians used to wear during that time. The romanticism style comes from the positions and

stances of the subject of the painting. The bodies laying on the floor are very dramatic and their

positions are highly romanticized. The woman and the child next to her have a dynamic stance as
if they were about to charge forward. Similarly, the crowd seems to be about to charge following

the woman. Delacroix saw the protests and quick escalation of events so he most likely took

inspiration from the surge as the civilians fought the royal army. The actual events must have

been much more violent than what is depicted in the painting but Delacroix was not actively

involved in the protests or riots so he only painted what he saw from a distance in a highly

idealized and romantic style.

Figure 2 has a specific lighting structure and there is a peculiar balance in the painting.

Delacroix creates a smooth feel to the painting and strategically plays with the lighting of the

painting as well. The right side of the painting is much brighter and has a shine to it in

comparison to the left side. Using the title of the painting as context we know that the woman on

the right is a personification of liberty. Delacroix chose to shine a light on Liberty while keeping

the crowd in a darker setting to try and demonstrate liberty as the guiding light of the people.

Also, even though the left side of the painting is much heavier in subjects, the right side still

manages to be heavier and even out the balance of the painting. Once again, this ties back to the

symbol that the woman represents, liberty.

Delacroix believed that art was not meant to simply be visually entertaining but also

incite thoughts and feelings upon the audience of the artwork.51 Therefore, it is no surprise that

there is symbolism all over figure 2. Delacroix used the woman to represent liberty and

demonstrate how she is leading the crowd behind her. Delacroix was inspired by the events and

he wanted to recreate the same feelings within his painting. The painting as a whole represents

the heroism of the people on that day and the willpower of the people as they successfully

revolted against Charles X. In addition, Delacroix also intentionally drew different types of

people from different social classes to represent the unity he witnessed during the revolt and to
51
Mora, “Delacroix’s Art Theory and His Definition of Classicism.”
show that people fighting together was essential to their victory. Liberty Leading the People was

a painting for the people that represented the resolve of the citizens of France. Through

symbolism Delacroix managed to successfully convey that freedom and justice will always

prevail and those who are willing to fight for it will succeed.

Eugene Delacroix was a French romantic and it is clear in his artwork, Liberty Leading

the People. Delacroix spectated the events of the July Revolution and he looked at the event

through a specific lens. He remembers the event as something glorious and incredible but ignores

the violence of the protests and riots. Considering he was a simple spectator and did not

participate in the revolt during those three days of violence there can be two reasons for his

decision in shunning away from portraying the violence in his painting. The first reason would

be that Delacroix was not fully aware of the gravity of the situation and therefore he was not able

to portray such violence. The second reason could be that Delacroix was aware of the violence,

yet chose to shun away from it to protect the message of the painting. Regardless, Delacroix

wanted to spread a specific message with his painting and he was successful.

In comparison to Goya, Delacroix does not condemn war or violence but glorifies it in his

painting. The romanticism in Liberty Leading the People strategically emphasizes the woman as

a symbol used as a justification for the violence in the revolt. Knowing that the violence of the

July Revolution was not as extreme as the previous revolution and that Delacroix was not

personally involved in the protests or riots could explain his position on war and revolutions.

Delacroix’s personal experience with the revolution was exciting and joyful in comparison to

other war artists’ experiences with war.

Similar to the Peninsular War/Spanish Revolution and the July Revolution, at the start of

the century in 1914 a worldwide war began. Paths of Glory by Christopher R. Nevinson portrays
the horrendous effects of World War I in 1917 using oil on canvas. 52 Nevinson was sent on

behalf of the British War Propaganda Bureau to the front lines where Nevinson got the

inspiration to paint Paths of Glory and other paintings as well.53 Other artists were also sent out

to the western front similar to Nevinson, but their paintings were not as dark as Nevinson’s.

Paths of Glory utilized a realist style that resembles a photographic shot from someone's

perspective.

The majority of the media being distributed was propaganda with the goal of increasing

the war effort and uplifting the spirits of the people. The glorification of war became clear as the

efficiency of production in war necessities increased. Nevinson, who had experienced the

brutality of war personally, expressed what he saw through his paintings. Paths of Glory was

censored and not published at its time of creation. It is clear that the painting was making a

statement against the war. Nevinson’s horrifying experiences being an ambulance driver in the

war led him to derail from his original style of art to convey the irony of war and the price to pay

for waging war.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdindand set off the beginning of first world war.

The assassination obligated Austria to declare war on Serbia after it was known that serbians had

planned the assassination.54 At the time multiple countries had established alliances between

each other. The alliances that were formed caused a domino effect that pulled various countries

to the war. Russia in support of Serbia obligated Germany to declare war against Russia in

defense of Austria. The same process repeated multiple times until the rest of Europe was at

52
“Paths Of Glory,” Imperial War Museums, accessed September 23, 2021,
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/20211.
53
Charles E Doherty, “Nevinson’s Elegy: Paths of Glory,” 2021, 9.
54
“World War 1 | Philip’s Encyclopedia - Credo Reference,” accessed October 23, 2021,
https://search-credoreference-com.lscsproxy2.lonestar.edu/content/entry/philipency/world_war_1/0.
war.55 The last and decisive country that joined the war was the United States in 1917.56 World

War I ended in 1918 and is among the bloodiest wars of the modern era claiming over 40 million

casualties between the military and civilians. Around 20 million reported deaths and 21 million

wounded.57

The nations involved in World War I needed to keep the war efforts high to keep up with

production of weapons, ammunition, battle vehicles, etc. Great Britain was no exception and

they chose to contribute to the war effort by selecting several artists and sending them out to

battle fronts, so they could bring back paintings of what they saw.58 The paintings that were

produced by the several artists had the goal in mind to portray the ideals for which they were

fighting for.59 The majority of the paintings avoided highlighting the horrifying and gruesome

scenes experienced on the field. It was the first time the government targeted the public in its

propaganda systematically.60 There were major technological advances from both the allied

powers and central powers that demanded both sides to increase war efforts expeditiously.61 A

painting or media source that demonstrated the harsh reality of war could decrease the drive and

motivation of industrial workers that are producing the weapons used in battle. Great Britain was

not willing to take the risk of decreasing efficiency in production that could lead to a setback in

their production.

Christopher R. Nevinson was one of the official war artists for the British Government

during World War I. Nevinson had experienced war first-hand as he was an ambulance driver

55
Ibid
56
Ibid
57
“Robert Schuman Centre - CERS,” accessed October 24, 2021,
http://www.centre-robert-schuman.org/home?langue=en.
58
“EFFORTS AND IDEALS: IMAGES OF WORLD WAR I,” 2021, 3.
59
Ibid
60
Ibid
61
“The Industrialisation of War: Lessons from World War I | SGR: Responsible Science,” Scientists for Global
Responsibility, accessed October 24, 2021, https://sgr.org.uk.
from 1914-1915.62 During Nevinson’s time with the ambulance service he witnessed the deaths

and injuries of soldiers at the hands of the new technological advances in warfare such as plane

bombings and machine guns.63 Nevinson’s personal experience with the new age of warfare

allowed him to create the first modern paintings of war as an ambulance driver in the beginning

of the war. Nevinson was considered a futurist artist. Futurist art deals with the celebration and

admiration of the technological advances of the modern world.64

In 1915, Nevinson returned home suffering from rheumatic fevers. The rheumatic fevers

were reoccurring, invalidating him from returning to the battlefield as part of the Royal Army

Medical Corps.65 Since Nevinson could not provide his service in the battlefield he continued to

paint a multitude of paintings that implemented futurism but slowly focused less and less on the

weaponry or technology. One of those paintings is La Patrie (1916), created prior to Paths of

Glory. La Patrie is similar to Paths of Glory in terms of its eerie and dark scenery that is

displayed. La Patrie demonstrates the incredible amount of casualties produced by the war by

displaying many rows of wounded men lying on stretchers as more come in. The painting shows

the subject’s faces in pain and signs of bleeding. Despite the vivid imagery of the painting, Great

Britain’s censor authorities did not censor the painting unlike Paths of Glory.66

Nevinson’s mental health could have been affected by his experiences early in the war

causing him to develop depression. According to journal entries from his father, Henry

Nevinson, Nevinson was a patient of a neurologist and frightened of going back to the fronts.67

During the time of the journal entries of Henry Nevinson, Christopher Nevinson painted Paths of

62
Doherty, “Nevinson’s Elegy: Paths of Glory.”
63
Ibid
64
Tate, “Futurism – Art Term,” Tate, accessed October 24, 2021, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/f/futurism.
65
ibid
66
Doherty, “Nevinson’s Elegy: Paths of Glory.”
67
ibid
Glory in November-December of 1917. Nevinson had abandoned his futurist style of 1914-1915

and developed a representative style in 1916 and forward.68

Christopher Nevinson’s, Paths of Glory, portrays the bodies of two soldiers that lie on the

ground lifeless. The soldier on the left has his back towards the viewer and the soldier on the

right is facing towards the viewer. However, both of the faces of the soldiers are hidden and can

not be seen by the viewer. The helmets of both soldiers lay on the ground beside their bodies.

The two soldiers have identical uniforms, so the viewer can deduce that they were allies. The

bodies of the soldiers are surrounded by fencing and barbed wire implying that they are within a

trench. The environment is calm, there is no smoke and at the top of the painting the sky appears

to be clear. The only subject of the painting are the soldiers.

Nevinson uses a style of painting known as traditional realism or realistic. The painting

does not have any abstract or fictional aspects to it. The painting approaches a photorealistic

style but it is not as clear and sharp as one. Before 1915, most of Nevinson's paintings were a

mixture of abstract and futurism/cubism. After Nevinson’s return from the battlefields, his art

style changed to more realistic and less abstract-based art. The horrifying experience of

witnessing the death of soldiers day after day could have led him to distance himself from

futurism.69 Looking back, futurism celebrates the advances of the modern world. Nevinson saw

how the “advances” took away the lives and livelihoods of many soldiers out in the battlefronts.

Nevinson saw his change in style necessary to fully demonstrate the horrors of war to those who

will see his paintings.

Paths of Glory is in three dimensions and uses foreshortening by making the soldier’s

feet on the left appear bigger compared to its torso. The foreshortening allows for depth in the

68
ibid
69
Doherty, “Nevinson’s Elegy: Paths of Glory.”
painting to be noticed by the viewer. The foreshortening can also be explained by the perspective

of the painting. The perspective of the painting can be described as the point of view of someone

somewhat low to the ground and near the bodies. Trenches were pathways that were dug into the

ground, and usually, the soldiers could peak their heads above the trench, or they had to climb a

ladder to go above the trench.70 Nevinson chose to use three dimensions, foreshortening, and a

low to the ground perspective to share what he personally experienced when he looked over a

trench. Nevinson’s choice of form and perspective allows the audience to experience the

terrifying scene they would witness if they looked above a trench.

The composition of the painting emphasizes the bodies of the soldiers. The position of

the bodies in the artwork follow the rule of thirds which directs the viewer's eyes towards them.

Their bodies have no face and that is also emphasized through the perspective of the artwork. It

was common to see the bodies of soldiers laying around in trenches often left wherever they

were killed.71 Paths of Glory was a scene that resembled the deaths of many soldiers along the

trenches. The faceless bodies could represent any soldier at any place or any time during World

War I. Additionally, Nevinson’s title for his painting references a line from a poem by Thomas

Gray.72 In Gray’s poem one of the lines states, “The paths of glory lead but to the grave.”73 The

title of the artwork is intentional and its purpose is to highlight the true cost of waging war

against one another and by hiding the faces of the soldiers, Nevinsons generalizes the effects of

war.

70
Inscription on the Liberty Memorial Tower in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and U.S.A., “Trenches,” National
WWI Museum and Memorial, March 9, 2020, https://www.theworldwar.org/learn/wwi/trenches.
71
Doherty, “Nevinson’s Elegy: Paths of Glory.”
72
ibid
73
Poetry Foundation, “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray,” text/html, Poetry Foundation
(Poetry Foundation, October 24, 2021), https://www.poetryfoundation.org/,
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44299/elegy-written-in-a-country-churchyard.
 Christopher Nevinson was conscious that the paintings he was producing were not

promoting any of the “ideals” the British Government wanted to distribute onto the people.74 The

paintings similar to Paths of Glory were representations of the experiences that he went through

and he was simply trying to demonstrate that war is devastating in comparison to what is

portrayed and that the price of winning a war is high. Nevinson’s experience living in the fronts

allowed him to accurately depict the horrors of war effectively to the viewers so much so that

Paths of Glory was censored by the British authorities.75 Christopher Nevinson allowed his

experiences to influence his art, creating authenticity within it that allowed the audience to feel

and understand that war leads to nothing but death and suffering. Nevinson’s involvement during

the war facilitated his condemnation of war in his artwork Paths of Glory.

The experiences of Goya and Nevinson were different from Delacroix. Goya saw Spanish

civilians be executed and slaughtered by the French army of Napoleon. Nevinson was an

ambulance driver who helped aid wounded soldiers during the war and he saw the gruesome

ways in which soldiers were killed. Delacroix saw his people triumph and succeed in their

revolution ignoring the violence that came with the battles. The artworks developed by Goya and

Nevinson were similar. Their artworks both demonstrated the reality and brutality of war.

Meanwhile, Delacroix’s artwork was the opposite as it glorified and idealized the violent acts of

a revolution through heavy symbolism.

Observing the artworks individually you can arrive at the conclusion that Nevinson and

Goya were condemning war while Delacroix was glorifying war. However, it is necessary to

understand the artists’ experiences to develop the reason for choosing to take a certain approach

with an artwork. Additionally, the historical context is vital to understanding how the audience of

74
“EFFORTS AND IDEALS: IMAGES OF WORLD WAR I.”
75
ibid
the time would have interpreted the art. Each artist has their reason for creating their art and to

comprehend their artwork we need to examine their life and the environment they live in since it

is important to their artworks’ creation.

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Figure 1. Y No Hay Remedio by Franciso Goya
Figure 2. Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix
Figure 3. Paths of Glory by Christopher Nevinson