Lessons: What do the Artist Soldiers of WWI Teach Us?

The First World War was a profound turning point in history. The world of 1914 was a very different place from the one that emerged after four years of relentless global war involving millions of combatants and imposing hardship on countless civilians, from those whose towns and villages were on the front lines, to those distant from the battlefield.

Although the events of 1914-1918 have been overshadowed in the minds of most by World War II, the Cold War, and current conflicts, the pervasive and long-term influence of World War I still reverberates today. We see World War I in our modern-day geopolitics, our complex technological approach to warfare, and our cultural engagement with international conflict and diplomacy.

At the foundation of these world-changing events and altered cultural sensibilities were the individuals who fought and experienced the war. The collective national experiences of each combatant country that still resonate today were built upon millions of unique personal stories. The artworks in this exhibition are a revealing window and moving reminder of the individual humanity that underlies all great historical events. The artist soldiers of World War I speak to us in a direct and timeless way.