Gassed: John Singer Sargent’s Masterpiece Depicting the Horrors of World War I

John Singer Sargent's painting, The Chemical Victims, offers a haunting depiction of soldiers who endured a mustard gas attack on the Western Front during World War I. Witnessing the event in August 1918 deeply moved Sargent, prompting him to immortalize the scene by completing the work in 1919. The painting portrays severely afflicted soldiers—some collapsed, others struggling to stand, eyes wounded, many blindfolded. Mustard gas, first used as a weapon in this war, inflicted irreversible harm, causing burns, respiratory and vision damage, and even long-term risks like cancer.
Absent are gas masks, immediate aid, or commander's care—only the grim cost of military ambition. Yet, amid despair, rows of soldiers support one another, embodying resilience and hope. The tragic contrast is amplified by figures playing football in the background, oblivious to the suffering nearby. This powerful artwork invites contemplation on humanity's capacity for both destruction and unwavering solidarity, a message tragically echoed in modern conflicts where chemical weapons have been repeated.

Massoud Shojai Tabatabai