Diving For Cover

The painting Diving for Cover by Alexander P. Russo is a depiction of the Storming of Normandy. In this painting soldiers are frantically diving for foxholes as the enemy is relentlessly attacking them. I can't imagine what it would've have been like to storm Normandy. I would've been scared out of my mind. The soldiers we sent rode on a boat for days and then when the time came they got off of the boat and right into war. They had no idea what their surrounding were like, they just knew they were there to fight a war. This painting is done with very dull colors, which I think adds to the frenzy. Have you ever seen a movie where as soon as it becomes frantic things seem to slow down? I think that this painting has that slow frenzy effect because of the dull colors. I feel like I'm watching these soldiers dive for cover in slow motion. I also noticed that not everything has a sharp definition to it either. I think that the Russo's intent was for us to look at it and almost feel like we are there. I can't say I know how the soldiers felt during this time, but I bet it felt like everything was moving in a slow undefined frenzy. I know that sounds a little weird, but I really think that's how they may have felt.