Blown Up 1917

William Orpen created this watercolor and pencil work, "Blown Up," to grapple with the first World War. Its power lies in the contrast between the industrial processes that caused the soldier's trauma, and the artist's own hand-wrought process. The inherent qualities of watercolor lend themselves to capturing the soldier's ethereal, ghost-like presence. This semi-transparent medium creates a sense of fragility, mirroring the soldier's vulnerable state. Orpen's engagement with the tools of drawing and painting - the slow, deliberate application of color, the careful rendering of form - provides a counterpoint to the mechanical violence of war. This approach invites us to consider the immense amount of work involved, both in the soldier's experience and in the artist's act of representation. Ultimately, it's a meditation on labor and loss, blurring the lines between fine art and craft as it seeks to make sense of a world irrevocably shaped by industrial warfare.