Analysis of painting techniques and artistic approaches

Painting in question here has a profound message that is transmitted through the visual instruments that the picture allows for. Painted from a grim perspective, encouraged by dark colors and sharp lines, the picture emphasizes the sacrifices and victims that the foreign policies have given way to, in defense of a national policy and national pride that sometimes does not find its expression in the beliefs of the people themselves.

The central allegory is obviously that of the American flag. The symbolic meaning of the flag is complex, but its basic meaning is that to express a common patriotic denominator of people living in the same country and sharing a national belief and national objectives. The American flag, lovingly known as the "stars and stripes" by the people, is an object of faith in the U.S. And a unifying mechanism.

Here, the stars and stripes become, in fact, two opposing elements. First, the stars are meant to express hope, a luminous perspective on things and a positive development. On the other hand, the stripes, usually meant to represent the thirteen colonies that initially gained independence in 1776, are here represented by traces of blood, coming from injured or deceased soldiers. The patriotism, common denominator as mentioned, is, however, emphasized by the verb 'earn' in the slogan "but we earn our stripes," showing that the stripes are something to be fought for and that, no matter what the difficulties and pain, still something worth fighting for.

The message is a patriotic one, but the coloration used and the way the characters are painting holds out for a gloomy perspective. The two soldiers that make out the stripes with their blood are barely sketched. One can probably see that one of the soldiers is pulled by his feet, while the other by his head. This may be a message according to which, in death, all are equal and things don't really matter that much in terms of detail anymore. Their bodies are formed of drawn lines, sketched to show soldiers, but, in fact, leaving it open to the viewer's interpretation. This becomes even more obvious with the person who is pulling the soldiers and, thus, drawing the lines. At first glance, he is obviously another soldier, a fact that can be understood from the fact that he seems to wear a similar uniform with the individuals and a helmet is identified on his head.

However, the fact that the face is not clearly drawn can also leave room for different interpretations. Is this a simple soldier pulling away the cadavers of his companions or death itself taking away dear individuals into the unknown? Who is connecting the physical bodies with the symbolic meaning of the stripes painted with their blood?

The characters in the background also play an important role in the creation of the painting. With their presence, they create an antithesis to the characters in the foreground. They are dressed in white and, apparently, their expressions are both those of consternation and pity for the victims. Going further with the allegory, this can in fact be seen as the American people looking at the entire people's victims with sadness. Patriotism is a wonderful thing, but the losses and moral impact is also not to be ignored.

The creative means by which the painting is made are relevant in building the right atmosphere and perception for the viewer. First of all, the lighting and shading plays an important role. The painting is essentially dominated by dark shades of color, including dark red for the blood and flag, as well as the dark colors used for the uniforms. The artist uses contrasts occasionally, as is the case with the background figures, dressed in white clothes. At the same time, this also seems to split the perspective of the painting into two: the foreground, with the three soldier characters, and the background, with the group of people dressed in white. The lighting and shades used propose a gloomy perspective on the issue at hand and an overarching depressive interpretation of the issue.