La Pintura y la Guerra

[De Güiner]

'Japanese Engineers' Bridge Construction in Malaya' (National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo)

Toshi Shimizu

Juraría que ya se puso pero en el buscador no me sale.

[De Güiner]

'Manchuria, 1939'

[De Güiner]

No me arriesgaría a decir que es de Toshi Shimizu



https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/o208505809

Ahí viene a poner Tomoyuki Shimizu

Menos mal que tenemos a Don Luis que nos lo aclara.

[Luis M. García]

Nos?

Vamos, vamos, ya está vm. tomándonos el pelo...

Interesantes láminas... La del asalto al BT-5 muy de nuestro gusto, por cierto.

Aunque la de los ingenieros construyendo el puente tampoco está nada mal.

A ver si el Señor Caballero de Villena se anima a regalarnos otras cuantas de las suyas.

[De Güiner]

el Señor Caballero de Villena

Menudo marujón. No ceja VM en el empeño.

Ahora, lo de Alcoi sigue grabado en piedra.

La del asalto al BT-5 muy de nuestro gusto, por cierto

No la iba a poner, dado el mal estado de la misma. Eso ya no serían cinco minutillos con el Ps para medio adecentarla. Si al menos la hubiera encontrado en un tamaño más grande, todavía lo hubiera intentado. Pero bueno, al menos es del agrado de alguien, Esturión del Volga.

Por cierto, creo que es el Incidente de Nomonhan o Batalla de Jaljin Gol, en Mongolia, y no eso que perpetré de 'Manchuria, 1939'.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batalla_de_Jaljin_Gol

[Luis M. García]

el Señor Caballero de Villena

Menudo marujón. No ceja VM en el empeño.

Ahora, lo de Alcoi sigue grabado en piedra. [ Imagen ]

Deje de alcahuetear y liarla parda, que ya parece vm. un chicuelo revoltoso...

Por cierto, creo que es el Incidente de Nomonhan o Batalla de Jaljin Gol, en Mongolia, y no eso que perpetré de 'Manchuria, 1939'.

Tampoco hay para flagelarse, al fin y al cabo fue en 1939 y en la llamada Manchuria interior.

[Hlodowig]

General Jacobus Herculaas de la Rey (1847–1914), known as Koos de la Rey,

descendiente de una mezcla de franceses hugonotes, holandeses, españoles, alemanes, y portugueses. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koos_de_la_Rey

Rayos! Un tipo con tal mezcla de sangres había de ser un guerrero excelso...

Algo tendrá el agua cuando la bendicen...


The Return of De la Rey
John Meyer

General Koos de la Rey, a Boer hero, participated in various decisive battles where the enemy was defeated. He remained in contact with his wife, Nonnie, and on this travels he regularly sent feedback to his supporters about the progress of the war. He has returned from a battle where the Boer commandos outwitted and overpowered the British troops and h is enthusiastically welcomed as a figure of hope – a hero who tackled his people’s struggle with courage and daring.

He is surrounded by riders on horseback in front, next to an behind him, men who trust him and are probably now moving in the same formation as in the field. The men remain, like their leader, on their horses, ready to depart again. Are there moments in this space for roaming thoughts or are they only focused on the discipline that war demands of them? The horses’ eyes are excited; they know war. These powerful animals are indispensable to the battle.

Where De la Rey has come from is unclear: perhaps from Graspan, Modderrivier, Magersfontein or Paardekraal. He came from somewhere where he and his comrades outwitted the enemy. Maybe from Tweebosch, which would be the last great battle of the war which the Boers won on 7 March 1902. The news of his arrival always raises hope because encouraging news about battles indicates that the Boers could succeed in their objectives.

An excited man is yelling in the background with his hand held high. He is welcoming his hero and rejoices about another victory for the Boers. His supporters are excited to see him, hardly able to contain their joy. Camaraderie and optimism flow over in such moments, and the pain of war is forgotten for a short while. The entire scene is filled with energy – sunlight dances on the horses and even on the Boers’ grey uniforms. But who are these men exactly? Boers in the field or supporters from sympathetic countries like Holland, Belgium, Germany, Sweden or Russia who identify with the Boer cause? As an authority figure he could answer questions about what could be expected, of which the most urgent underlying question always is: is there still a chance for victory?

De la Rey’s challenging attitude towards the enemy is legendary; he knew no fear. Deeds or terror such as the blowing up of mines or the derailing of trains and the application of guerrilla warfare were part of his fighting arsenal. He, the Lion of the Western Transvaal, would fight until the bitter end and the preservation of the Boer Republics was the first priority for him. He represents a non-negotiable opposition to the rape of the land brought about by the war. He stood firm in this position with all the might he could muster.

More than a century later Bok van Blerk’s song, yearning for a De la Rey to lead the Boers, would resound as a longing for leaders who offer hope for the future.

Amanda Botha

Precisamente, en 2007 una canción de Bok van Blerk ensalzando las gestas militares del general Koos de la Rey, uno de los ídolos de la Segunda guerra bóer-británica, creó cierta polémica y temor del resurgimiento del nacionalismo bóer. Incluso la prensa en lengua afrikáans se refirió a la letra como un "grito de guerra" y advirtió cierto "resentimiento" por haber quedado relegados en la Sudáfrica democrática.

https://elpais.com/elpais/2013/11/07/af ... 38380.html

Un saludo

[Hlodowig]

End of the Line
John Meyer

The rocks on the train track force the train carriage off the track. It was a planned deed. The frenetic movement and the light of the fire above and underneath the dark carriage emphasise the element of fear and confusion. What exactly would happen when the carriage leaves the track could not have been planned with any degree of accuracy. It is uncertain how the fire, which forces the British soldiers to leave the train as quickly as possible, originated. Perhaps it was the impact of the derailing; possibly the flammable material was hit by a flaming torch. Perhaps the British started the fire themselves after the derailing to prevent the Boers from taking provisions and ammunition.

They were clearly unexpectedly confronted in a surprise attack. Their first priority is only to escape the flames, but they must immediately prepare for confrontation. For these young troops this landscape is foreign, without any recognisable features. They face immediate trauma in the fear of burning and being wounded, and possibly even death. They could also be injured by jumping down from the carriage where ankles or legs can be broken. An added direct and dreaded threat of the ammunition on the train exploding, which will mean loss of life, adds to the tension.

Amanda Botha

Un saludo

[Hlodowig]

Dispatches
John Meyer

A lone rider, possibly a dispatcher, rides through this vast Karoo landscape, the landscape of dispute that made war inevitable. There is haste in the horse’s gallop, spurred on by the rider possibly being ordered on a specific mission, or on his way to join a commando or a regiment. He is not immediately recognizable – nothing reveals his identity. He does not wear a uniform, but he does wear a hat and is most probably a messenger. He could be a British guide or on his way to fight by their side. Or possibly he is a Boer on a mission between commandos.

Striking is the fact he is the only rider in this vast landscape. He is unprotected and fragile, exposed to the unpredictability of a war situation. Not only is he isolated within the landscape, but also within himself. His assignments and their implicit dangers leave him vulnerable, at the mercy of circumstances beyond his control. That he is alone on this occasion possibly allows him the time to think about times long gone, to long for loved ones left behind and for his home and the world that awaits at the end of the bitter war. For now he is alone in the vast plain.

In spite of the responsibility and the importance of his mission, he remains a lone figure who might just have, under such circumstances, the luxury of intimately personal memories. He will also know the fear of isolation and danger, which he knows he must defend himself against, because he will not able to wish it away.

Amanda Botha

Un saludo

[Hlodowig]

The Death of Pietie Brandt
John Meyer

Still on the vast plains of the Vrystaat, Brandt is once again a lone and solitary figure in a sombre setting. The lively horse that he is leading is that of his young son, Pietie. Pietie is dead, but the circumstances of his death are unknown.

Was Pietie, who was still sitting next to the fire, possibly already wounded? Was he perhaps shot on his horse by a sniper? Was Brandt with him when he died and did he have time to bury his son? Would he remember afterwards where Pieties’s unmarked grave was? Does he consider that the child was too young to be exposed to a war which could break even hardened men like him?

It is clear that he needs to get away from this scene as soon as possible. But he horse – the only remaining sing of Pietie’s existence – could not be left behind. Does he think about his son’s blood soaking the earth for which he is fighting with his life? What he can’t allow – in fact is unthinkable – is that the enemy could also use Pietie’s horse against his own people.

The shiny, wet rocks and meandering mountain stream reflect the sun behind the clouds. The golden glow of the heavens glitters on the land – the land which must be fought for to the death. The day continues undisturbed, but for Brandt it is a lonely, sand journey. Does he dare think about the personal, self-sacrificing price this merciless war is asking of him? Life around him, he knows undoubtedly, has changed for ever.

What remains of his and his family’s dreams? Are the heavens opening for him or closing to him? Would he think about how such extreme losses will also mark the future? Or is it now, for the time being, only about personal survival?

Amanda Botha

Un saludo

[Hlodowig]

Lost in the Dust
John Meyer

A majestic African sunset dominates the scene and colours the landscape gold. Here are no clues of what could have taken place. Three riders are lucky to ride away alive and there remain behind but it is not clear who the people are. Could they be Boers who are riding away? How does one distinguish? They cannot be identified by their beards because men on both sides of the war wore beards. Could it be assumed that they belong to a Boer commando because they are wearing civilian clothes? Fighters on both war fronts wore civilian clothes; it was not distinguishing feature of only one group.

Who are the wounded or dead left behind? Are they Brits or Boers? Why are they simply left behind on the bare plain? Did those men who are riding into the sunset have to quickly escape from imminent danger? Is there no time to bury the dead? Or is there a feeling of war fatigue that leaves the dead to their own fate?

The men riding away are abandoning their comrades to the night. Would the fate of the dead haunt them? Would they think about the bodies ravaged by the burning African sun or attacked by wild animals and vultures that same night? Are they thinking about how much blood has already flowed in the war – blood that soaks and stain the earth? Or is it dismissed for the moment as the natural course of the war where other rules apply?

Three men’s lives are cut short – dust to dust. Three men, most probably in the prime of their lives, are riding away as the evening displaces the day, much like death eventually displaces life. An atmosphere of inhospitality (unheimlich) is evoked by the endless harshness of the veld, together with the restless, fleeting specks of cloud. Will the image of the bodies remaining behind be part of their emotional baggage for the rest of their lives, or has the barrier of desensitization already been erected?

Amanda Botha

Un saludo

[Luis M. García]

Sacrebleu, mon ami!

Morosas me resultan vuestras ausencias, mas gozosos son los retornos cual los del viejo amante añorado...

Gran hallazgo el de esa canción vindicando al viejo General y muy curiosa la pronunciación, dicen "general" casi como nosotros cuando siempre pensé que pronunciarían al germano modo (guénerral) y sin embargo pronuncian "De la Ray"... Que raritos son estos herejes.

En fin, la cancioncilla me parece notable, épica y evocadora y esa última lámina es una auténtica hermosura, así como un excelente telón a esta serie de magníficas imágenes sobre las guerras Boeres. :thumb:

Reciba vm. mi más rendido agradecimiento.

[reytuerto]

Hola.
Uno de mis cuñados vivio en Sudafrica, en Durban, y decia que la tierra tenia una fuerza que te enganchaba. Viendo el oleo de Meyer, puedo atisbar porque lo dijo. Saludos.

[Hlodowig]

On the List
John Meyer

In this tension-filled situation, a man’s immediate future or fate could be determined by a name on a list. He stands defenceless for moments, at the mercy of the decision about to be conveyed to him. What list is this? Is he a traitor or hensopper who has now been exposed and is being confronted? The commando members are waiting outside, seeming as if they already know something that he is unaware of. Is it he who they are coming for? The retribuition of brother against brother? Does he possibly have information about the name on the list? Information about a family member or friend or information that could place his life on the line at this very moment?

The man with the paper in his hands seems severe, business-like an undisturbed. The listener is uncertain and bewildered; his name is possibly on the list to be called up for war service. Could it be that they are convincing him, possibly against his will? He does not dare be a fence-sitter in these circumstances, where others like him fight for nation and freedom – also his. He is a Boer with his honour, with an obligation to fight in the war for the communal endeavours of all his people.

He could also simply be confronted with the news: ‘You are a spy. Come with us. There is no mercy.’

There is also the possibility of bad news about his wife and children, that they could have been driven from their farm which was burnt down in front of them.

Is the home where they are gathered possibly his home? A sense of homeliness pervades with portraits on the wall, the personal belongings, giving a home its own ambience. The cool, grey-blue sky however creates an ominous atmosphere, adding to uncertainty and tension.

It could be a temporary military base of the Boers which has transformed a cherished, homely environment for the togetherness of a family into a war zone. The play of contradictions loads the scene with uncertainty.

Amanda Botha

Un saludo

[Hlodowig]

Out of the Blue
John Meyer

Three riders on horseback come galloping overt the ridge, riding away from a fire in the background. Fear and threat are imbued in the situation, without clariy about exactly what happened. What was lost or damaged? The farmhouse, the fields or both? Was it occupied or unoccupied? Where are the occupants of the farm?

The people, a woman and her children possibly assisted by bywoner tenants, would obviously have been surprised by the riders. Were they threatened or was the fuse unceremoniously lit for the uncontrolled fire intended to burn their house down?

It appears as if the house and the fields were already burnt down in the early morning with the mist still hovering on the horizon. Did the farm folk depart as unexpectedly as the soldiers appeared? Were they able to save anything of value? What did they have to go through and where have they gone?

The decision to burn the farm down had to come from a higher authority while soldiers were sent to execute these commands. These riders, who are not wearing the characteristic British helmets, could possibly be Australian soldiers as citizens of various colonial countries formed part of the British troops. They are answerable, but they are fighting against people in a country with which they have no business. As British subjects they were called up to serve the British Empire without choice.

Are they alone or are other soldiers perhaps concealed behind the ridge? What did the farm folk leave behind? Can anything still be saved – on the land, for the farm folk and for the war effort? What are they leaving with? Something take as a souvenir or only torturous memories as if recollected from a horrible dream?

Amanda Botha

Un saludo