Walking through the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, I came across an artwork that I will never forget, ‘Guernica’ by Picasso. I was first awestruck at the sheer vastness of the piece; something that cannot be properly conveyed when studying it from a book. I was then captivated by the tortured allegorical images emulating the agony of conflict. It is amazing to think that one painting can portray such a powerful comment on modern warfare and the destruction that it leaves behind. It is this aspect of History of Art that truly fascinates me. Art has many roles amongst society. It speaks to us on issues of religion, politics, history and fashion to name a few. The arts can provide a though-provoking commentary and innovative insight on a myriad of global ideas. It has the limitless capacity to evoke memories of the past and induce intellectual thought for the future. I have thoroughly relished the opportunity my History of Art A Level has provided me, to learn about the diverse history and cultures of the Western world and the evolution of its art. I particularly enjoyed studying and writing comparative essays of Renaissance art, from both northern and southern Europe, of which there was an astoundingly high level of both artistic and architectural creation throughout. History of art has also taught me how to visually interpret artworks. Understanding how to read a painting can unlock so much hidden meaning and depth; from the use of composition, linear planes, colour,
Pablo Picasso is one of the most famous and well-documented artists of the twentieth century. Picasso, unlike most painters, is even more special because he did not confine himself to canvas, but also produced sculpture, poetry, and ceramics in profusion. Although much is known about this genius, there is still a lust after more knowledge concerning Picasso, his life and the creative forces that motivated him. This information can be obtained only through a careful study of the events that played out during his lifetime and the ways in which they manifested themselves in his
A piece of art is not limited to a painting that captures a representation of imagery. Art is anything that stirs emotions in a person or makes them think, just like Marcel Duchamp accomplished in 1917 with one of his most famous pieces Fountain. Art can be anything that captures and represents the artists emotions, mental state, and personality with every brushstroke, and the usage of colors while also reflecting the mentality, thoughts, and major events that occur in a certain period, such as Picasso’s Guernica. To understand the message that the artist is trying to convey, one must look deeper than what is on the surface of the artwork, which is what I will do with this piece of art, scrutinizing its mysteries as well as its motives.
For centuries artists have moved audiences through the use of pictures. As time progressed those images became more and more demanding of the viewer until they were meant to invoke a physical response. Perhaps the earliest account of such emotionally exact artwork is the 1818 piece, Raft of the Medusa, by Theodore Gericault. As time progressed people became more politically aware and involved and generations of art portrayed this. Pablo Picasso's Guernica, created in 1937, is a great example of how modern times soon saw a peak in the occurrence of allegorical and politically packed artworks. Gericault's The Raft of the Medusa and Picasso's Guernica are both horrifying accounts of the nature of men that aimed to alter a viewer's political
During the Spanish Civil War, German tested their bombs for warfare on a town called Guernica. It was in the province of Biscay in Basque Country in Pablo Picasso’s home country. The oil work, Guernica, was Picasso’s reaction to how he felt about the bombing and shows dismemberment and pain. It is art about the tragedies of war, especially on civilians. This anti-war symbol helped bring the Spanish Civil War more attention. The lack of color seems to make the work more dramatic. According to Picasso the bull meant brutality and darkness while the horse the people of the town. This artwork should be classified as one of the most famous political protest
The painting “Guernica”, a black and white oil painting depicts the chaos that ensued World War II. It was painted by Pablo Picasso in his sharp, shaped style. At first glance, you notice an overwhelming amount of shapes, when looking closer those shapes become faces of despair and distress, which as one could imagine that is what the people of Spain were feeling prior to the bombing that inspired this painting. With odd shapes, and a large, chaos filled canvass, it defiantly puts on display its uncanny ability to attract the viewer into digging into the deeper meaning of this intriguing master piece.
Lovett, my art history professor, a true inspiration, opened my eyes to a whole new world of rich ancient history, culture, and expression. From the beginning of time, art was utilized as a medium to tell a story, and ever since, society has turned to different medias of art- sculpture, print, conceptual performance, installations, drawings, oil on canvas, and paintings- to reflect on the current situation and express themselves. For instance, a chaotic era of war reflected in Weary Herakles, a bronze Greek Late Classical sculpture (Peloponnesian wars), the politically rebellious bravado evident in Goya’s Third of May, Romantic prints, or in Delacroix’s Lady Liberty the People, and even the religious power struggle between the Protestants and Catholics, apparent in the exuberance of Giacomo de la Porta’s Il Gesu, a Baroque Catholic church, or in Lucas Cranach’s Allegory of Law and Grace, a Northern Renaissance metal print. My greatest accomplishment in this class was designing an art exhibition featuring works from ancient to modern times, all linked by one common theme, Rebels in the History of Art. The gallery contained revolutionary works such as Giotto’s Arena Chapel, Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and Three Daughters, Manet’s Olympia, Duchamp’s Fountain, Monet’s Saint Lazare Station , Kandisky’s Improvisation 28, and other groundbreaking works. Moreover, the story behind each artwork has motivated me to further explore the art world in college as I intend to not only pursue
Most of his creations represent history and society of his time. But “Guernica,” which Picasso painted in response to tragedy and the loss of life, directly related to the Spanish civil-war. “Guernica” was one of the masterpieces created by Picasso, probably the 20th century 's most negative symbol of the horrors. It was a also signal for the terrors of the future. When the Nazi troops dropped a bomb on the Basque village of Guernica in northern Spain, at that time nobody imagined this kind of act in reality. Most
Utilising, “The Study Diamond: effects, techniques, context and meaning” (The Open University, 2013, p. 76), this essay will argue through close visual analysis from an art history point of view that Picasso’s Guernica is a form of protest. The essay will also argue that Guernica’s meaning has changed to include becoming a symbol of peace and continues to fulfil its purpose as a form of protest.
Students through the process of art appreciation will build connections through the exploration of textures, lines, colour and shape when describing, analysing, interpreting and judging the artworks before them (3 chosen images). They are asked to describe what they see, the artist’s use of colour, lines, shapes and texture. They then move onto analysing; what catches their eye, is the composition balanced and do the paintings look flat or do they have depth. The discussion then progresses onto interpretation where students are able to express what type of emotion they feel when looking at the pictures, perhaps the kind of sounds they might hear if they could step into it, and why they think the artist chose this particular subject to paint and what may have inspired the artist.
Guernica is monochromatic to make its imagery more powerful. Lack of color keeps the viewer focused on the subject matter at hand, as well as keeping the mural cold, which agrees with its general theme of injustice in war. Also, Picasso’s flat imagery does not distract the viewer from concentrating on imagery. The viewer is given no other choice than to concentrate on the subject matter of Guernica and ponder it’s meaning. The flat, grayscale images generalize the imagery and contribute to the general theme of unnecessary suffering and tragedy.
Pablo Picasso, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century and co-founder of the Cubist movement, was a participant in Europe’s political discourse during most of the early 1900s. Picasso’s Guernica, one of his most powerful political statements, was painted as an immediate reaction to the Nazi’s casual bombing practice on the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Guernica, a mural-size canvas painted in blue, black, and white oil, shows tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians. Picasso depicts turmoil, people and animals suffering, with building in disarray torn apart by violence and mayhem. With Guernica, Picasso establishes his identity and his strength as an artist when confronted with political authority and intolerable violence, especially in his native land. Interpretations of the symbolism of Guernica
Another powerful and political piece of art is Picaso's Guernica. Painted after the bombing of the Basque town of the same name, Guernica reveals the horrors of war, and the anguish and chaos that war creates. The piece demonstrates how art can open our eyes to the cruelty of the world. Allison writes, “art should provoke more questions than answers and, most of all, should make us think about what we rarely want to think about at
Art has been a popular medium for public outcry, change and propaganda regarding issues relevant to war and suffering for hundreds of years. German expressionist Kathe Kollwitz and Spanish cubist Pablo Picasso are two artists who through their artwork have engaged with mass audiences and conveyed their own personal ideologies, emotions and beliefs on issues relevant to their world.
As one of the the greatest painters of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso was one of the most influential artist. With the collaboration of Georges Braque, Picasso became the creator of cubism, which lead to many creations, one of these being Guernica. In these creations picasso wanted his viewers to feel the pain and suffrage of those in the bombing. He went on to develope painting that demonstrates conflicts in political realms after being describe as “the least political person ever known.”
For this project I will be going over the medium for Guernica by Pablo Picasso. The medium means the tools and paints used to create the artwork for this particular piece, it also has to do with the technique on how to construct this painting. But first, let me give you a little background of this symbolic painting. Pablo Picasso created this painting in reaction to the aerial bombing over Guernica, Spain by German and Italian forces during the Spanish Civil War back in 1937. After this tragedy, the Spanish Republic asked Picasso to paint a large mural about the bombing for display at the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris. Guernica was painted in remembrance to show the catastrophe of war as well as the anguish and destruction it inflicted on the people of Spain, especially the innocent civilians. The encompassing scenario is set within a room where, in an empty part on the left, a wide eyed bull looms above a woman grieving for a dead child she is holding. The middle of the painting shows a falling over in pain, having been pierced by a spear or lance. One of the focal points of this piece is the gaping wound in the side of the horse After it was completed, Guernica was exhibited to the world during a limited tour, receiving large amounts of recognition and becoming quite famous. This power piece obtain much exposure bring the Spanish Civil War to the world’s awareness. The colors for the painting are black, white, and grey. It is also done with oil paints on an eleven feet tall