Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso's Guernica: documenting the tragedy of war through art

Pablo Picasso's Guernica (1937) is one of the most iconic works of 20th-century art, with a powerful anti-war message about the horrors of the Spanish Civil War. More than just a work of art, it is also regarded as a political manifesto that denounces the inhumanity of violence and war. Guernica, in particular, is a monumental work that demonstrates both Picasso's artistic ability and his sense of political participation.

1. Historical Background

Guernica is based on the events of the Spanish Civil War, when the small town of Guernica in the Basque Country was bombed by Nazi Germany's air force on April 26, 1937. The bombing was a tragic incident that killed hundreds of civilians and shocked the international community at the time. When Picasso heard of the bombing, he was asked by the government of the Spanish Republic to create a large mural to be displayed at the Paris International Exposition. Guernica was born as an art record of this historical tragedy.

2. Composition and Symbolism of the Work

Guernica is a large-scale painting (3.5 m x 7.8 m) painted in black and white, which expresses the horrors of war in a symbolic and abstract way. The characters and animals in the work are all engulfed in tragedy and suffering, and each element carries a certain symbolism.

• Bull: The bull depicted in the upper left corner is traditionally a symbol of Spain in Picasso's work, and is often interpreted as a symbol of violence and oppression.
• Horse: The tormented horse in the middle represents the Spanish people and directly illustrates their suffering. The horse is screaming from being speared, which is a straightforward expression of the cruelty of war.
• Women: There are many different types of women, who are depicted in pain, such as mothers who have lost their children, women who are on fire, and so on. In particular, the image of a mother crying while holding her child in her arms dramatically reveals the mother's sense of loss.
• Lamp: The lamp in the upper center is shaped like an eye, which can be interpreted as the Light of Truth, or the Wardener of War.
• Soldier with sword in hand: The broken hand and sword of a fallen soldier symbolize helplessness in war and the severance of hope, while the small flower blooming on the sword is seen as a symbol of hope that exists nonetheless.

As such, each element in the work metaphorically expresses the misery and suffering that war inflicts on human beings, revealing Picasso's intense criticism of war.

3. The choice of black and white

Picasso painted Guernica in black and white. This was done to make the horrors of war more dramatic. The hue of black and white gives it a photograph-like documentary character, emphasizing the sober objectivity of the work instead of the emotional element of color. Picasso makes this choice to extract emotion from the work, while at the same time confronting the cold reality of war.

4. Art Meets Politics

Picasso was known as an artist who refrained from making political statements throughout his life, but Guernica marked a turning point in his consciousness of political participation. Through this work, he expressed his strong opposition to the civil war in Spain and political injustice in the international community. The work had a political message that went beyond mere artistic expression, which inspired many artists.

Picasso also unveiled Guernica for the first time at the Paris International Exposition and then toured the world to serve political purposes. In doing so, he succeeded in disseminating a critical view of war and using art as a tool for social change.

5. Modern Significance

Guernica remains a symbol of anti-war and peace to this day. This work is not just about the Spanish Civil War, but also about the suffering of all those who suffer from war and violence. In many countries around the world, the image of Guernica is used, and it conveys the message that humanity should not forget war and protect the value of peace.

In particular, a replica of Guernica hung in the meeting room of the United Nations Security Council in 1985 symbolically shows that the work stands at the center of discussions about war and peace. Shortly before the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the replica was obscured, proving once again that Guernica is still a powerful symbol with a political message.

 

 

Guernica, 1937 - Pablo Picasso - WikiArt.org