MAKE A MEME
View Large Image
| View Original: | Human Pyramid Painting Wolfsonian 87.789.5.1.tif (2500x2848) | |||
| Download: | Original | Medium | Small | Thumb |
| Courtesy of: | commons.wikimedia.org | More Like This | ||
| Keywords: Human Pyramid Painting Wolfsonian 87.789.5.1.tif en Oil on canvas painting depicting a pyramid made up of masses of people from ancient times to the present 1941 At the bottom of the sea is scattered debris bones and skulls At the base of the pyramid are prehistoric people animals and early Norsemen Above that are early settlers Dutchmen an early submarine shark and other historic figures At bottom center a priest with head bowed over a roaring bonfire in which a witch is burning Pyramid rises out of the water and bathers and tents are scattered on the shoreline Higher in the pyramid are early means of transportation and rows of industrial buildings Also in the pyramid there are army officers the rich and poor workers mothers with children At the top of the pyramid is a young boy with wings like an angel holding a sling-shot and looking over the landscape In the background other more modern buildings and smokestacks and a city with skyscrapers and an airplane and hot air balloon are at the top of the canvas This painting is full of socio-political messages relating to Denmark's unfortunate involvement in WWII The symbolism is ominous and pervasive throughout the painting and reflects Engman's satirical commentary on the negative aspects of Nazi occupation of Denmark This is represented by the use of various images in the pyramid The lowest images represent a look at Danish and Scandinavian history from prehistoric times of cavemen to the Vikings and Norsemen and then progressing upwards through the Middle Ages the Renaissance etc Engman's unsettling humor can be seen in the sunken ship below the water at left with the name DANMARK on its side representing the destruction and the end for Denmark under Nazi occupation At right also below the water is a submarine bearing Danish flags with the name FAEDRELANDET invading the Danish world below representing the invasion of the German fatherland and also representing the name of the Danish Nazi newspaper published during this period by the DNSAP Danish National Socialist Workers Party 1941 The Wolfsonian Florida International University Photographers Lynton Gardiner David Almeida other versions cc-zero Uploaded with UploadWizard Painters from Denmark | ||||