The piece of art displayed is The Two-Thousand Yard Stare painted by Thomas Lea, however most people know it as a popular meme on social media. But what most people don’t know is that this very meme has a much deeper meaning behind it. The idea of a “two-thousand yard stare” is a phenomenon that typically happens to soldiers after they see something traumatic in the field of battle. And in 1944, Thomas Lea created a art piece perfectly exemplifying this phenomenon. In the painting there is a young marine who looks lost in his own thoughts to the point it looks like his mind is empty, paired along a chaotic and blurred back round, creating isolation and disconnection with what’s happening around him, further highlighting his internal struggles and psychological trauma. This piece isn’t just a meme but a mournful representation on the cost of war, and a reminder about the sacrifices soldiers make.