Taking Cover By David Fredenthal

I think this painting is a very good depiction of war for many of the soldiers. These soldiers were drafted into war but many of them were still young, and had never been exposed to the atrocities of war before. The soldier depicted in this painting is in a fetal position which could symbolize that he is still a child. He is not ready to take on the burdens of war. Also, his hands are red and bloody, which shows the unnecessary bloodshed in this war. The color used in the majority of this painting is dark and drab. It creates a dark mood and the shading also puts a dampener on the entire painting. The soldier seems to be trying hard to walk away from this affair with his life and that seems like it would be the general situation that most soldiers at the time were going through.