Benay Cemetery, close to Saint-Quentin

Mobilized on October 31, 1914, in the territorial army reserves, given his age and health, Maurice Denis was deployed in the Eure region as a guard of communication channels. In January 1915, he set about trying to become a military painter, but these attempts were in vain. He was relieved from military service in April 1915. Finally in 1917, he was given a mission on the frontline, granted by the Deputy Secretary of State for Fine Arts, which gave him the opportunity to experience events first-hand. In his journal, he described his arrival in Benay, close to Saint-Quentin, on October 16: "From there, you can clearly see the Cathedral of Saint-Quentin, still standing with its magnificent contours and, far to the south, you can see the Cathedral of Laon, atop a blue hill. The Bosches clash. Shells illuminate the sky, incredibly close to us, one after another, extending the range. Whistling and whining between the crashes of thunder announcing departure and arrival. Close by, there is a small military cemetery that has been well-maintained with its crowns and tricolor cockades. "
The artist depicts the cemetery at dusk. In the foreground, there are the ruins of a building and to the side, we can see the individual tombstones of the graveyard, with a statue of Christ on the cross. The graveyard is masked by a camouflage net. In the distance, three explosions serve as a reminder that the scene is staged on a battlefield. The palette used by the artist gives this artwork a peaceful and gentle ambiance, despite the subject it depicts.