Carl Joshua M.

Sanchez

BSEE-3B

CEA_32

A. The Artwork: Please paste here the scanned copy of the obra, the title, the name of the artist,

and the link if it is taken from the internet.

Title: Soldat und Tod (1917) or [Death and the Soldier]

Artist: Hans Larwin (1873-1938)

Source Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hans_Larwin_-_Soldat_und_Tod_-

_1917.jpg
B. Comment on the following:

1. What is the subject of your artwork?

- The subject of this artwork is war, and the focus of this artwork is the soldier and skeleton
soldier on the battlefield.

2. What is the content of your artwork?

- The artwork Soldat und Tod (1917) by Hans Larwin is about life and death in war. The
alive soldier represents life, and the skeleton soldier, or the reaper personification of death. The
artist painted it during World War 1, and what he wanted to convey in his artwork was to show the
horror of war. It shows that war only brings death and destruction.

C. Comment on the Following Visual Elements:

1. Lines- Only the rifles have any lines at all in the artwork. There are thick and thin lines visible.

2. Shapes- There are shapes used in the artwork like boxes and rectangular for the magazine, and
oblong for the butt of the rifle.

3. Color/Value- The color used is hue colors: brown, army green, brown. The values used are black
and gray.

4. Texture- The texture of the artwork looks smooth because of the stroke of the brush but, in some
other parts of the painting the texture looks rough.

5. Space- The subject is in the middle and placed in the foreground. There are some parts that line-
off in artwork like rifles and lower body parts of the soldier.

D. Comment on the Principles of Design (Choose only 5 evident principles in your artwork)

1. Composition- If we look at the image, the subject which is the soldier and skeleton soldier is in
the center placement. The right-side area is more occupied if we utilize the grid line, making the
space uneven.
2. Emphasis- The used color of the subject which is the soldier and skeleton’s color makes the
subject dominant and stand out from the background, bringing the viewers’ attention to it.

3. Balance – The artwork shows an asymmetrical balance because of the placement of the subject.
The right-side area looks more occupied than the left side which makes the artwork asymmetrical
balance.

4. Movement- The huge smoke behind the subject makes a movement that directs the viewer’s eye
in an upward direction.

5. Unity- The arrangement of related components and aspects of art in order to achieve uniformity.
The color is what gives the artwork more harmony, unity, and wholeness.

E. Art History and Art Movement

1. To what Art History and Art Movement do your “Obra” belongs?

- The artwork Soldat und Tod (1917) by Hans Larwin belongs to the expressionism and
dadaism art movement.

2. What possible context in history the artwork is connected/related to?

- The history of the artwork Soldat und Tod (1917) by Hans Larwin is related to World War
1. Because the painting was painted a year before the war ended and the context and subject are
about war. It may be used for attempting to evoke specific emotions and to prevent political
warfare.

3. How does the wisdom/philosophy of the art genre reflect on the artwork?

- This artwork's underlying wisdom and philosophy show how violent and miserable the war is.
Even though Hans Larwin was not a soldier, he vividly depicts the dangerous and terrifying life of
a soldier in combat. That war only brings death and suffering to people
F. Personal Appreciation of the Art

1. What is the meaning conveyed to you by the artwork?

- The artwork's message emphasizes the horror of war and the fact that it only results in death
and destruction. This demonstrates how risky it is to be a soldier because one foot is in the pit and
death is right there alongside them. Imagine how many lives were sacrificed because of the warfare
made by the politicians and government.

2. Why did you choose the artwork?

- Because of my interest in playing battlefield and shooting games, and I love seeing artwork
about war and history because it provides me a peek at what happened on the battlefield, and how
chaotic and horrible it was.

3. Share your other interpretations besides the original intent of the artwork.

- My first interpretation is that the skeleton represents "death" or "the reaper," who is waiting
for the soldier to die in his last position of war.

My second interpretation is that the skeleton was a fallen soldier or colleague who may
have been a buddy of the living soldier who was killed on the battlefield (as seen by the gun next
to him). As a result, the skeleton appears to be guiding, encouraging, and protecting the living
soldier.

My third theory is that the skeleton soldier is the ghost of his comrade who was shot and
died; in order to exact revenge on the enemy, he directs his living teammate to direct his gun at the
enemy and kill him.