Discuss the influence of World War I and its aftermath on the arts. Explain what events or experiences inspired artists of all kinds to experiment with new approaches. Then describe the changes that came about in two of the following fields-painting, music, and literature (poetry and prose).

War changed the way how people saw themselves, how they saw the period in which they were living and how to express their feelings through art. World War I changed everything, it was a different war in every aspect.

Explanation:

Before the war, Europe was living a period we traditionally call Belle Epoque. It was a moment when art and culture flourished, and everyone believed that a time of peace and prosperity would be long and good. However, in reality, nationalism and arms race (especially in countries such as Germany and France), show a different idea about this period. Speaking about art, before the war the artists usually portrayed the hope of a good future, with a canvas that should express happiness and delight for the world. But World War I destroyed this world with the barbarian, the horror in the trench and made everyone understand that peace was something difficult to maintain. The young lives lost in the conflict, the massive destruction and the feeling of fear for the future made the artists rethink their posture. As aftermath, instead of maintaining the same style of joy, and hope, they begin to portray the horrors of the war, or to express themselves freely, because they understood that war destroyed everything, including the old school ideas about art. New ways of painting began to emerge as Expressionism and Surrealism which plays with the viewer's feelings and sensations. In the Expressionism, the artist should portray his/her feelings with strength, and making the viewer feel the same. Surrealism plays with reality creating a unique art style that has no bounders or limits to the imagination.

A brand new world.