A SHATTERED BODY. On the representation of wounded and disabled bodies of soldiers and veterans in the period of the First World War in artworks by Henry Tonks, Christopher Nevinson, Otto Dix and Georg Grosz

Abstract

This research provides information about the representation of wounded and disabled bodies of soldiers and veterans in the period of the First World War in artworks by Henry Tonks, Christopher Nevinson, Otto Dix and Georg Grosz. The different body as it was perceived in pre-war society is analysed. The strong belief in the connection between the mind and physical appearance and in the malleable body becomes clear and the effects of the First World War on the body are disclosed. By relating technological progress to the invention of modern and complicating weapons, I argue that the male body was intended to be harmed and to harm. Looking at the origins of plastic surgery as a medical expertise, it appears the idea of a repairable body, that could be normalised, was key. In the final chapter artworks by the above mentioned artists are analysed. An art historical methodology is combined with concepts from the field of disability studies. By looking closer into the discourse of disability and societal and institutional power, I state that this discourse regarding disabled and wounded soldiers and veterans is prominent in the discussed artworks and the style in which they were made. The big difference in the depiction of the war- wounded body between artists from Germany and Great Britain surfaces in the conclusion. Germans Otto Dix and Georg Grosz both make use of a graphic style, harsh lines and an explicit depiction of wounding and disability, while Christopher Nevinson and Henry Tonks contribute to the idea of the repairable body, using influences from cubism and softer materials such as pastel.