“Spring in the Trenches” is an exceedingly ironic artwork by Paul Nash based on the World War 2. First enlisted as a soldier to fight in the army in the early 1917’s, he was invalidated and sent back soon, just before an attack that caused his regiment to perish. However, Nash was sent back to the frontlines again soon, but as a “propaganda artist” this time. “Spring in the Trenches” is based on an incongruous scene that he had witnessed during the springtime of 1917s, a time when he was still in the army. He had witnessed birds chirp and vegetation spur out of nowhere while man prepared to kill man. Such juxtaposition seemed the very embodiment of the characteristics that man and nature were exhibiting at that time . Overwhelmed by the extreme effect that such juxtaposition created, he wrote about it to his wife, describing the scene as: ” Ridiculous, mad incongruity!”. In the piece, Nash uses various elements of space, colour and light to tell the audience about the time in history when man and nature were in conflict with each other, when nature was creating and man was destroying. Nash’s use of such visual elements also help establish the far-reaching effects of the catastrophe that was the war.
The light in the artwork is perhaps its most salient feature as it gives it its defining qualities. The light appears to be quite natural, presumably, sunlight. It is what gives the piece its distinguishing overall bright demeanour, which is quite uncommon for a Nash painting. Nash’s use of light is quite significant in this piece as it helps highlight the aspects of nature present, in particular. As the bright light shines from the east, the trees and the land in the middle are accentuated. Due to this, the audience is able to notice the bloom of a couple trees in the backdrop, which gives rise to the thought that it is “spring “, as that is usually when nature blooms. The use of this direct light (or the absence of it) also helps in distinguishing man and nature. As natural elements are in the sphere of the painting that is characterised by bright light, man is left in the dimly-lit sphere, which again places emphasis upon nature and its creations. Perhaps, the dimly lit sphere is a symbol of the darkness that has filled humans as they have resorted to wreaking havoc on each other and on nature through the means of a war. It could be representative of a gloom that has surrounded the race ever since it has begun treading on the path of destruction. Overall then light is to be considered as a pivotal element of the piece.
Space: Extreme distance between trees is representative of the destruction that has been caused due to the war. Use of background and foreground helps in the presentation of the juxtaposition and establishment of the conflict.
Colour: Bright colour palette contrasts against the shadows in the foreground which again deepens the conflict. The bright colours also indicate the time of the day: morning. Soldiers sleeping at this time are representative of the way that the war has changed them, thus identifying a root-cause.
End with expressing that the war was the root cause of humans starting to destroy, thus being in constant conflict with their surroundings and with each other.