art i dig: “The Welsh Division at Mametz Wood”

“The Welsh Division at Mametz Wood”, christopher williams 1916

this piece is absolutely wild. it encapsulates the suffering of the dead and dying with what pays homage to medieval paintings of hell, fiery trees and all. the central focus, the man thrusting his bayonet into his enemies body while the man behind him fires a round with his pistol expresses the loss of humanity in combat, especially in such close quarters. the un-manned machine gun proves that sometimes our hands are stronger, and more important than even the heaviest of weaponry.