La Mitrailleuse (1915)

La Mitrailleuse, was done by Christopher Nevinson in 1915, and it is currently on exibition at the Tate Gallery in London. At the time the painting was created World War I was going on, and both France and the United States were involved in the war. This picture illustrates four French soldiers in a French machine-gun post down in one of the many trenches of the war. However, this painting is much more than just an illustration of what was going on, or what something looked like in the trenches. This work of art is symbolic. La Mitrailleuse represents much more than just four men in the heat of battle down in their trenches. It represents what those men became when they were in those trenches and in the war. Hopefully, by the end of this project the reader will realize who the artist was, why he painted this piece, and how it connects to America and the many different aspects of the war that effected the outcome, because this piece means so many things, in so many ways, to so many people.

"I am no longer an artist. I am a messenger who will bring back word from the men who are fighting to those men who want the war to go on forever. Feeble, inarticulate will be my message, but it will have bitter truth, and may it burn their lousy souls.
-Christopher Nevinson

Throughout this web site we will divulge into the way the artist portrayed these soldiers in the relationship to the environment, and why the author did this. We will also take a look at who the author was, and what connections this piece has to American history. The links at the bottom of the page will take you to the different aspects of this painting and project. Thank you and enjoy.
-Craig Harasimwoicz