War 1896

Arnold Böcklin painted "War" using oil on canvas; it is a nightmarish vision of destruction. The image evokes the anxieties of late 19th century Europe. Rapid industrialization and urbanization were accompanied by social upheaval and political tensions that led to wars across the continent. Böcklin's painting visualizes this turbulent era through allegorical figures. He merges classical, medieval and contemporary imagery, with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse riding over a town. The figure of War, wielding a hammer, is flanked by Death with his scythe. A naked woman represents the victims of war. Böcklin, who worked in Switzerland and Germany, was deeply concerned with the social impact of modernization. His symbolist paintings reflect a conservative worldview critical of materialism and progress. They sought to evoke a sense of unease and to remind viewers of the eternal presence of death and destruction. To understand this disturbing image better, we might consult histories of 19th-century Europe and studies of symbolist art and its cultural context.