Artists, authors, and songwriters alike, have attempted to understand war through color, theme, texture, and pattern. As real as war is, we see throughout history and across cultures that people require a level of abstraction to comprehend the responses to war and the meaning of conflict. The strange juxtapositions of compassion and violence, heroism and massive loss, brutality and courage, seem to make war truly incomprehensible. Yet, it is similarly, nearly impossible to understand the human experience or human nature without discussing war. It is through our conflicts that we make tangible our ideologies, our traditions, our values, and our symbols.
The arts allow us to penetrate the legends and harsh realities, in ways that facts and statistics cannot. What does the loss of life truly mean?
Picasso’s Guernica(1937) teaches us the horrors of battle in a visceral way, whereas Goya’s The Third of May1808 (1814) demonstrates the ultimate sacrifice through resistance. But art does not only take one point of view, for the complicated nature of war itself can be seen in the themes of triumph such as Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People(1830), ideas of glory shown in Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware(1851), and apotheosis in David’s Napoleon Crossing the Alps(1801).
Consider the stark contrasts of Homer’s Iliadin which Achilles is a godlike warrior (cir. 760 BCE), Dumas The Three Musketeers(1844) which lionizes the noble, chivalrous swordsmen who always fight for justice, and Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five(1969) which is a blatant commentary on the trauma of war and its destructive power over the human psyche. But even placing these three great works side by side, we soon realize the portrayals are not so black and white. Homer complicates his epic, as he seems to argue that war can provide a way to bring great renown to its heroes while simultaneously devastating life. Dumas’ characters are the pinnacle of honor, yet infidelity is celebrated and marriage falls into “situational ethics” at best. Vonnegut’s unlikeable protagonist, Billy Pilgrim is portrayed as the anti-John Wayne, yet in the end, the character shows incredible dignity in his calm acceptance of death, without fear.
And finally, the arts serve as our memory – to memorialize the costs of those who fight. To commemorate the Russian’s ultimate victory over France, Tchaikovsky was commissioned for the 25thAnniversary of The Battle of Borodino (1812). The Year 1812 Solemn Overture, Op. 49(1880) is a triumphant piece, rich with a powerful brass section, booming percussion (including a volley of cannon fire), and ringing chimes at the finale, Tchaikovsky invokes the power of God granting the Russians victory. But not all memories are of glory. The anti-war anthems of the Vietnam War period, in the US, condemn the actions of war but not of soldiers. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Fortunate Son(1969) is a clear commentary about the wealthy creating wars for the poor to fight. We can ask, which is the truer version: Tchaikovsky or Fogerty? Although Tchaikovsky celebrates a God-given victory, the price Russian peasants and soldiers paid for that win should not be forgotten.
The lesson that the arts teach us about war, is not one of condemnation. The lesson is, that like human nature itself, war is a complicated weave of good and bad, life and death, heroism and brutality. It is important to understand this tapestry and to accept the duality. The arts teach us that memorializing is not always an act of celebration, but it is one of deep respect.
