| It is impossible to approach twentieth century events like World War One without paying careful attention to the role played by visual images of the conflict. Most studies of the Great War include pictures without trying to integrate them with the text. Other works purporting to deal with American art during the war take the form of picture books that likewise offer little interpretation. Art historians frequently speak of the war as a dark age, in which artistic production nearly disappeared, and which taught artists few lessons applicable in peacetime. This dissertation will add to existing scholarship by providing an overview of American artistic responses to the Great War, both those produced during the country's term as a belligerent and the smaller number of works generated in the post war years. Such an overview will reveal the range of responses present in America's war art. The guiding premise is that the war was an event that captivated the imagination of Americans, especially members of the artistic community, and that art can help shape understanding of the conflict. |
