A monumental triptych by Otto Dix, this work uses the format of a religious altarpiece to document the grim reality of trench warfare.

Otto Dix created this monumental triptych between 1929 and 1932, drawing upon his direct experiences as a soldier during the First World War. The work adopts the traditional format of a religious altarpiece, yet it replaces sacred iconography with the grim reality of trench warfare. The left panel depicts soldiers marching into the fog of battle, while the central panel presents a desolate, ruined landscape filled with corpses and debris. The right panel shows a soldier carrying a wounded comrade away from the carnage, and the predella at the bottom depicts soldiers sleeping in a dugout. Dix employs a harsh, unflinching style to document the physical and psychological toll of conflict. The palette is dominated by earthy tones, greys, and blood-reds, which heighten the sense of decay and suffering. By referencing the aesthetic of Renaissance altarpieces, Dix forces a comparison between the historical veneration of religious martyrdom and the senseless destruction of modern warfare. The composition is dense and chaotic, reflecting the disorientation of the battlefield. The figures are rendered with a focus on anatomical distortion and decay, avoiding any romanticised depiction of heroism. This work remains a primary example of the New Objectivity movement, which sought to portray the social and political conditions of the Weimar Republic with cold, analytical precision. The triptych serves as a visual record of the trauma that defined a generation, stripped of any patriotic sentiment or glorification. It is a stark examination of human suffering, presented with the technical rigour of the Old Masters.