Revolution: a violent solution

Monday, May 9, 2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sprit_of_%2776.2.jpeg

The Spirit of ’76 is a painting by Archibald McNeal Willard that shows the iconic American Revolution. Willard painted it after he saw a parade in the town square. He meant to paint the scene with the two boys drumming and the fifer but a friend of his told him to make it a more patriotic scene. Willard inserted the US army holding the first flag of America showing pride and victory and balances it using a British officer dead in the foreground. The three men playing the instruments were inspired by the three kids who played in the Wellington holiday parade. The painting was also inspired by the stories of the Revolution told to him by his grandfather (Giblin 42).

The American Revolution happened in the 18th century when the thirteen colonies in North America united and revolted against the British Empire. The American colonies did not want to be ruled from overseas (British Empire) without any representation from America. In 1774, each colony had its own governmental institution making them their own individual states. The British sent troops to disband these institutions and in 1775, the conflict grew into the American Revolutionary War. The American Revolution itself was successful and created the United States of America, starting with the 13 states. All British claims on the US were abolished in the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The revolution brought the creation of a democracy for the people, elections for the representative of the government. Many prisoners of both sides were framed for treason and later hanged. In the Battle of Bunker Hill, about 1000 British soldiers became casualties compared to only 500 Americans (American Revolution).

The Violence used in the American Revolution was depicted in the painting through the wounds of the three main figures in the painting. The triumph of war is still depicted in the picture through the enthusiastic drumming and fifing of the main figures. The dead soldier lying in the foreground represents the death of the British in America and is depicted with a canon next to him that was used in order to fight off the other side. The triumphant soldiers in the background carried the guns and bayonets used in the war, showing the true violence of the American Revolution.

Giblin, James C. and Ursula Arndt. The Story of the Fourth of July. Google Books. http://books.google.com/books?id=x2UzaVfG3tgC&pg=PA41&dq=%22Archibald+Willard%22+Wellington&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=bvSYSLHlJ5vOjgHEx7DHBw&sig=ACfU3U0LJh9i5ALuCqaaQRnQDlvJBzFoEw#v=onepage&q=%22Archibald%20Willard%22%20Wellington&f=false.

The Spirit of ’76. http://www.americanrevolution.org/spirit.html.

Wikipedia. “Archibald MacNeal Willard.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_MacNeal_Willard.

Wikipedia. “American Revolution.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution.

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Introduction

These artworks show the Violent Revolutions in the past few centuries. Guernica shows the early violence that the Spanish Civil War had during it’s time. The painting itself consists of dead bodies, ghosts, and body parts lying around showing the violence of the Revolution and it’s casualties. It is Picasso’s depiction of the bombing of Guernica by Nazi Germany which was a trial run of Blitzkrieg. Liberty Leading the people depicts Lady Liberty of France with the dead bodies of the soldiers and the new advancements of warfare technology (guns, cannons, etc.) that caused violent deaths for a lot of people at that time. The dead bodies represent the violence needed for liberty. The Russian Propaganda shows the force needed by the Soviet Union to promote the Communist government by killing off and eradicating all other influences to the people. The Spirit of ’76 shows the violence of the warfare fought by the depiction of the dead body in the foreground and the wounds of the soldiers coming back from the Revolution. The Tiananmen Square Massacre photograph, The Tank Man, shows the protests of 1989. It shows the tanks as the violence that was happening during the protests, though the man was not run over by the tanks.

Tragedies of War

http://spikeyliu.blogspot.com/

Spikey Liu's blog consisted of a general theme of the dangers and consequences of war and the violence in war. Spikey used thae painting named "Gassed." This painting shows the horrors and the violence of the mustard gasses used in WWI. Even though there are no sights of pain and agony, the violence of the First World War is depicted through the yellowish green color of the mustard gas used, the piles of dead or wounded soldiers in the foreground and background, and the wounded/blinded soldiers. The Third of May also depicts the violence through the blood and deaths of the victims and the focused man surrendering and pleading for his life to be spared.

Fight for Liberty

http://7k1mzx.blogspot.com/

Through the artworks in Thomas Kim's blog, violence created in the process of Revolution is further shown. The Death of Marat by Jacques Louis David represents the French Revolution, a period of time where violence between humans was clearly shown and sometimes even called "barbaric." The painting itself shows Marat in his medicinal tub working on his newspaper that consists of the names of people to be captured and sent to the guillotine. The French Revolution called for the killing machine to be the death penalty of possible traitors to the regime. The Egyptian Revolution of 2011 includes the number of people who were part of the somewhat violent revolution to overthrow Mubarak, the current ex-president of Egypt, and to gain liberty and freedom from the corruption of Mubarak. Violent demonstrations broke out during the Egypt Revolution due to the corruption of the government.Though the revolution was successful, people were killed and injured during the protests and the clash between the protesters and the security forces.