Battle of the Fishes Formal Analysis

"The Battle of Fishes"

As the name of the art piece suggests, this painting illustrates fighting fishes. It was done by Andre Masson, a French surrealist.  Mediums used include sand, gesso, oil and charcoal on the canvas.The painting suggests a savage battle between the two sharp-teethed fish. The art piece was created in the year 1926. It features intricate brush strokes and well-thought textures as well as many lines. The painting also shows streaks of red which represent the bleeding fish. From this, I feel as though the painting was related to his experience fighting in the World War One. It is possible that he used his personal experience to relate to this painting as well as express the trauma and pain he felt during the war period.

//Samantha Toh//