Paintings and Drawings » Trench Soldier
Watercolor. This one I actually did as a school project on my own for WWI. The description for the project is as follows:
Trenches were first introduced in World War 1. They were better strategy for the two sides. They had better support of lines and allowed one side to shoot without getting shot at. Long-range weapons were in the back of the trenches, in the reserves. Men carrying shorter ranges weapons were in the front trenches. A fire step two feet above the boards was placed for me to fire upon, then jump back down to hide from approaching fire. But, since both sides had the advantage trenches gave them, it made the battle long and hard. Either side only moved several yards back and forth before the arrival of the American troops. Besides the battle, trenches had other drawbacks. Rats often swarmed the trenches, feasting on provisions, dying and wounded soldiers. Lice also found their home there. Most of the men couldn’t bathe regularly so lice were a constant guest. Most lice carried diseases with them that they passed onto the men. Trench fever was a sickness carried by lice. Men would burn them off with a candle, though killing the lice and not burning the clothes took practice. As if vermin weren’t enough, many men would develop trench foot. Trench foot was an infection that made the foot swell to twice its normal size and loose all feeling. They only felt the pain when it started to heal.
This is dedicated to all the soldiers fighting in WWI. Although they were opposing each other, each side had to endure the same conditions. The single soldier represents awareness and fear every soldier had. The fact that he’s alone represents every soldier’s realization with death- themselves or their friends. The trench represents the cruelty of war and the blue sky represents a hope for peace- through death or life. We cannot forget them.
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