Totes Meer

"Totes Meer" (German for "Dead Sea") is a 1941 oil-on-canvas painting by Paul Nash, depicting a moonlit landscape of crashed German Luftwaffe aircraft resembling a jagged icy seascape. Inspired by Caspar David Friedrich's *The Sea of Ice*, the work measures 40.0 × 60.0 inches (102 × 152 cm) and has been in the Tate Gallery's collection since 1946.

Nash, a renowned war artist from both World Wars, was commissioned by the Air Ministry in 1940 but faced criticism for his artistic style, leading to the termination of his position. He completed "Totes Meer" later that year and sold it to the War Artists' Advisory Committee for £150.

The painting was based on sketches and photographs from a salvage unit near Oxford, where crashed aircraft were recycled. Nash described the wreckage as static under moonlight, with an owl symbolizing movement among the debris. His personal struggles, including a failing relationship and respiratory illness, likely influenced the somber tone.

"Totes Meer" received critical acclaim; Kenneth Clark hailed it as "the best war picture so far." It was displayed successfully in 1941 and remains one of the most significant British paintings from WWII.