1940
S.L. Woods
Embedded Files
Its 1940, a brand new decade. World War II is showing no signs of slowing down. In the midst of this bleak time, many have taken to trying to express their feelings through art to try and find some escape from the troublesome climate of the world. This article focuses on two artists and how their work shows a bit of normalcy and hope despite the ongoing war.
Current Events Regarding The War
On March the 18th, Mussolini joined in alliance with Hitler.
On June the 22nd, France officially surrendered to the Nazis.
On July the 19th, the Nazis have banned any anti-Nazi films from being shown in the Netherlands.
On August the 17th, Hitler ordered a total blockage of Britain.
On September 27th, Germany, Italy, and Japan formally joined in an alliance known as the Axis.
Office at Night
Office at Night
Edward Hopper, 1940
56.4 x 63.8 cm, Oil on Canvas
Edward Hopper has a unique style, with his painting focusing on everyday activities but presented in an almost dreamlike way. His paintings have a quality of loneliness to them, even with human subjects depicted in them. Office at Night is a great example of this, the harsh lighting in the room piercing through what you can tell must have been otherwise a quiet darkness. It feels like the rest of the world has stood still while the two workers are still tirelessly dedicating themselves to their job. Gas has a similar feeling to it, showing a scene that either takes place in the late dusk or early morning of a man pumping gas for his car. Though there is still a slight tint from the sun over the landscape, the majority of light comes from the gas pumps and the windows of the station. Both of the scenes are familiar, something that everyone can relate to. It feels comforting amidst the uncertain, changing times we're living in.
Gas
Gas
Edward Hopper, 1940
66.7 x 102.2 cm, Oil on Canvas
A Warship in dock
A Warship in dock
Eric Ravilious, 1940
443 x 589 mm, Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
Another artist making waves is Eric Ravilious. The war has surely had an effect on his work, as his drawings focus on battleships and submarines. All of his pieces have a very light and airy quality to them, likely attributed to his use of pencil and watercolor. It makes what should be imposing scenes of war vessels feel serene and comforting, like a beam of light offering to fight against the darkness. This is especially true of his work Midnight Sun, which depicts a scene from onboard a warship while the sun rises over the water. Such hopeful depictions of what would be otherwise bleak constructions helps shine a little light on the war efforts, making things feel a tad bit more comforting in these desperate times.
Midnight Sun
Midnight Sun
Eric Ravilious, 1940
470 x 591 mm, Watercolor and Graphite of Paper
Of course, these aren't the only relevant artists who have made waves in the past year. Included below is a collection of more wonderful works that prove that art will still flourish even in the midst of wartime.
Slave Market with the disappearing bust of voltaire
Slave Market with the disappearing bust of voltaire
The work was done by fames surrealist artist Salvador Dali. Like the title suggests, it shows a slave market with the bust of Voltaire missing.
Salvador Dali, 1940
47 x 66 cm, Oil on Canvas
News
News
A steel relief depicting different men carrying out business. They can be seen writing in a notepad, typing on a typewriter, and talking on the phone.
Isamu Noguchi, 1940
Stainless Steel
Scene at the signing of the constituion of the united states
Scene at the signing of the constituion of the united states
A historical painting showing the birth of our great nation. Its a beautiful testament to freedom, something deeply needed in these times.
Howard Chandler Christy, 1940
20 ft x 30 ft, Oil on Canvas
Submarines in dry dock
Submarines in dry dock
Another work created by Ravilious. In his typical fashion, it shows a war vessel, this time choosing to depict a submarine.
Eric Ravilious, 1940
432 x 571 mm, Watercolor, Graphite, Crayon, and Pastel on Paper
The face of war
The face of war
A haunting work created by Dali that seems to represent the horrors of the ongoing war. The surrealist style truly captures the terrors of death and uncertainty.
Salvador Dali, 1940
64 x 79 cm, Oil on Canvas
sentimental ballad
sentimental ballad
This work depicts a group of men in a bar singing together, likely drunk. Another man in the foreground seems unpleased by the ordeal.
Grant Wood, 1940
61 x 127 cm, Oil on Masonite
Wilma with cat
Wilma with cat
A portrait of the artist's wife holding a cat. The strong lighting and perspective makes it reminiscent of past painting eras.
Carel Willink, 1940
108 x 83.4 cm, Oil on Canvas
Meeting of the waters
Meeting of the waters
A pair of statues depicting a man and a women standing atop two fish. The statues also double as fountains.
Carl Milles, 1940
Bronze
Self portrait, dedicated to Dr Eloesser
Self portrait, dedicated to Dr Eloesser
Frida Kahlo is famed for her self portraits. This one depicts her with a necklace of briars around her neck, invoking imagery of the Crucifixion.
Frida Kahlo, 1940
59.5 x 40 cm, Oil on Masonite
Notable Art Movements
Surrealism
Abstract Impressionism
Art Deco
All of these movements show a deviation from the standard realism, possibly using heavy stylization as an escape from the bleak atmosphere the war has put the world under.
The Archer
The Archer
A statue of a ,am holding a large golden bow. The style is reminiscent of the artwork of ancient civilizations.
Eric Aumonier, 1940
Lead, Gold, and Steel
Self-Portait with Thorn necklace and hummingbird
Self-Portait with Thorn necklace and hummingbird
Another work by Frida Kahlo, once again depicting herself with a necklace of thorns. Rather than painting herself alone again, she is surrounded by many different animals.
Frida Kahlo, 1940
61.2 x 47 cm, Oil on Canvas
This is an article from The Art News, a well renowned newspaper focusing solely on new events in the world of art. It contains many other relevant and fascinating articles surrounding art in the midst of the war. The following article describes an exhibition put on to capture the rising Abstract movement. It was published on February the 3rd of this year
"Paintings by American Abstract Artists, currently exhibited at the University Gallery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, shows the mark of European influence upon American Abstract Art. It reveals both the French tradition grounded on Cubism which has reached America through several different channels, and the influence of German abstraction, especially through the Bauhaus. From this institution comes a former teacher—Joseph Albers—to display two of his works, No. 1 Reverse and Frames. Werner Drewes, a student at the Bauhaus in 1921-22, is likewise represented by two canvases, Composition 100 and Advancing.
Russian-born Ilya Bolotowsky, who painted murals for the New York World’s Fair, has one painting in the display, entitled Abstraction. Hananiah Harari, who has exhibited in one-man shows in New York and Paris and who, at present, is teaching at the American Artists’ School, is represented by Railroad Signals.
The exhibit is composed of over fifty works by forty-one artists, all of whom are members of the Society of American Abstract Artists. No attempt, of course, has been made in the University Gallery exhibition to cover the entire abstract movement in America, though the exhibition is a good indication of the proportions that the movement has attained. "
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