All of these artworks deal with a historic day in American history. June 6, 1944 was the date of the Allied invasion into occupied Normandy, France. World War II is my favorite war in a historical sense and these images capture the essence of that day.
C A Russell, A Pill-box, St Aubin-sur-Mer, 1944, watercolour drawing on paper, 1944, From the collection of: Imperial War Museums
Here is a German Pill-Box that is pointed toward the ocean. The remains of a machine gun are in the foreground. In the background is a building that was more than likely damaged during the invasion. Russel uses shadows very well to show that this is later on in the day after the Allies had stormed the beaches of Normandy.
German prisoners tending an American cemetery at St Laurient, France, near Omaha beach one year after D-Day, From the collection of: Imperial War Museums
This photo captures the aftermath of war, death. The photographer does a great job of shooting the photo from a viewpoint that shows the magnitude of the brutality from D-Day. In the background are German P.O.W.'s that are being put to work and tending to the cemetery.
Anthony Gross almost makes a hybrid of an etching and painting in this piece. He captures the ships and soldiers taking the beach. The abstraction in this work is done at a level that the viewer still has a good idea of what is being drawn. There is a lot going on in the artwork but Gross does a great job of capturing the importance of the land and sea portions of D-Day.
Commandos approach Sword Beach in a Landing Craft Infantry (LCI), From the collection of: Imperial War Museums
Imagine your eyes being the view of the camera, seeing the carnage of the battle. You will have to muster up the courage to run onto the beach facing enemy fire. This photo shows the battle from a soldiers perspective and places the viewer in their shoes.
Eurich is able to capture the Allied preparations beautifully in this landscape painting. In the foreground is a line of armored vehicles being loaded into the belly of a ship. In the background is the sea vessels that will be used for the invasion. The attention to detail and the colors used emphasize the dramatic impact of D-Day.
Credits: All media
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