Verdun (by Félix Vallotton) Poster

This design features a painting by Swiss-French artist Félix Vallotton. It shows a battle scene from the First World War. The Battle of Verdun was the longest lasting battle of World War One. One of the costliest battles in military history, Verdun exemplified the policy of a "war of attrition" pursued by both sides, which led to an enormous loss of life and large numbers of casualties. Vallotton volunteered in June 1917 and visited the front lines and trenches of the eastern front. The French government had asked him to paint what he saw, and this painting was exhibited in 1917 at Musée du Luxembourg in Paris. The painting shows the absolute devastation that the war brought; it is a truly apocalyptic scene.