Author Topic: Introduction to 1915 Eastern Prussian Refugee medals  (Read 11420 times)

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  • Ludwig Gies devoted a series of ten medals to the refugees from East Prussia, the women, the children and old people who were suffering, mourning, and fleeing from the advancing Russian troops. Gies never intended to reference military strategic aspects like so many pathetic “victory” works of other German medalists. Rather, Gies was more concerned with showing the civilian consequences brought on by the war effort.

    Gies emphasizes the medal images in this series by curving the medal field forward (convex) or inward (concave); the silhouette-like contours of the figures before the otherwise empty background underline the isolation of the little groups which, in turn, express dull despair; dejection, and acquiescence in their fate.

    These pieces originated under Gies' impressions from news events of the first war years at the eastern border of the Empire when Russian troops occupied East Prussia but were fought back again in February, 1915.

    Gies‘ artistic reaction dealt, (except the similar to WVZ 108 political examples), with the escape and suffering of the civil population. Stylistically, developments and occasional dates (1914, 1915) point to their origin within the first half of the year 1915 and refer very little to actual historical events at that time.
Introduction to 1915 Eastern Prussian Refugee medals
« on: December 16, 2019, 10:38:09 PM »
Ludwig Gies devoted a series of ten medals to the refugees from East Prussia, the women, the children and old people who were suffering, mourning, and fleeing from the advancing Russian troops. Gies never intended to reference military strategic aspects like so many pathetic “victory” works of other German medalists. Rather, Gies was more concerned with showing the civilian consequences brought on by the war effort.

Gies emphasizes the medal images in this series by curving the medal field forward (convex) or inward (concave); the silhouette-like contours of the figures before the otherwise empty background underline the isolation of the little groups which, in turn, express dull despair; dejection, and acquiescence in their fate.

These pieces originated under Gies' impressions from news events of the first war years at the eastern border of the Empire when Russian troops occupied East Prussia but were fought back again in February, 1915.

Gies‘ artistic reaction dealt, (except the similar to WVZ 108 political examples), with the escape and suffering of the civil population. Stylistically, developments and occasional dates (1914, 1915) point to their origin within the first half of the year 1915 and refer very little to actual historical events at that time.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2020, 10:06:04 AM by Haarmann »