The Monument's Men opened in theaters everywhere February 7th. I only watched it recently, with my father - as usual. Going into the theater, I only knew that it was a movie about the end of World War II and that men were sent over who were never really trained for combat. I didn't know it was based on a true story or exactly what those men were sent over to do.
The monuments men were actually called the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFAA) section of the allies. They were "a small corps of mostly middle-aged men and a few women who interrupted careers as historians, architects, museum curators and professors to mitigate combat damage." The group were from all Allied regions, not just the United States, were sent all over Europe to find, recover and return infamous art pieces like the Mona Lisa, the Madonna and Child sculpture and the Ghent altarpiece that were stolen by the Nazis. Hitler had the artwork stored in monasteries, castles and salt mines to later be showcased in his Fuhrermuseum in Linz, Austria. But as history shows, Hitler did not win the war.
The movie, based on the book by Robert Edsel released in 2009, focused on seven monuments men. George Clooney's (Frank Stokes) character portrays George Stout, the one that put the monuments men together. Lincoln Kerstein, portrayed by Bob Balaban (Preston Savitz), said Stout “was the greatest war hero of all time – he actually saved all the art that everybody else talked about.” Bill Murray (Richard Campbell) portrayed Captain Robert Posey, Matt Damon (James Granger) inspired by James Rorimer, John Goodman (Walter Garfield) portrayed Walker Hancock and Cate Blanchett ( Claire Simone) portrayed Rose Valland. Of course there were many other people who were a part of the MFAA, but to make a movie, or even a book, you need to have a small amount of characters to keep the reader or viewer interested. Although there were of course some shortening of what happened, the movie kept true to history.
Rose Valland was a huge help to the movement. She was a French Art Expert in Paris' Jeu de Paume museum and spoke German. So she kept track of where the artwork was taken when it left the museum. James Rorimer gained her trust and found the artwork at Neuschwantstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps. 21,000 items were found there, most of which were stolen from Jewish collectors. Alteusse salt mine in the Austrian Alps was where most of Hitler's plunder was kept. Stout logged: 6577 paintings, 2300 drawings/watercolor, 954 prints, 137 pieces of sculpture, 129 pieces of arms and armor, 79 baskets of objects, 484 cases of objects thought to be archives, 78 pieces of furniture, 122 tapestries, 1200-1700 cases of books/similar and 283 unknown cases. Of all that was stored there, the MFAA saved 1850 paintings, 1441 cases of paintings and sculpture, 11 sculptures, 30 pieces of furniture and 34 packages of textiles. Included in what was saved was the Adoration of the Lamb by Jan van Eyck - also known as the Ghent altarpiece - and the Madonna and Child from Bruges, Belgium.
I'm glad this movie was created because not many people, including me, knew that there were men and women who fought to protect art during World War II. Art is important to our history and our culture.
The Arts are an essential part of public education. From dance and music to theatre and the visual arts, the arts give children a unique means of expression, capturing their passions and emotions, and allowing them to explore new ideas, subject matter, and cultures. They bring us joy in every aspect of our lives.
Arts education not only enhances students' understanding of the world around them, but it also broadens their perspective on traditional academics. The arts give us the creativity to express ourselves, while challenging our intellect. The arts integrate life and learning for all students and are integral in the development of the whole person.
The Arts communicate and speak to us in ways that teach literacy and enhance our lives. We must continue to find a place for arts programs and partnerships not only for what it teaches students about art, but for what it teaches us all about the world we live in.
--Dr. Terry Bergeson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington State, November 2001
Morrison, Jim. "The True Story of the Monuments Men." Smithsonianmag.com. N.p., 7 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-monuments-men-180949569/.
The Associated Press. "Monuments Man Was For Real." The Chronicle Herald. N.p., 6 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1185189-monuments-man-was-for-real
Comments
Post a Comment