Guernica, By Pablo Picasso

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

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.

It took him over two months to finish it, and it was displayedin the Spanish Pavilion in 1937. Guernica shows the tragedies of war and the suffering it imposesupon individuals, mainly innocent civilians, animals and buildings by violence and chaos. It’sbelieved to have helped bring worldwide attention to the Spanish Civil War. Some critics warnagainst trusting the political message in Guernica. Picasso said he painting exhibits brutality anddarkness. He also stated that the horse inthe painting represented the people ofGuernica. The painting was anindignation on what the war was doingto everyone. As the war went onPicasso’s paintings became more andextra sad and depressing. Death becamethe focus for many of his paintings. In the last years of his life, paintingbecame a fixation with Picasso, and he would date eachpicture with absolute precision, thus creating a vast amount of similar paintings. Picasso died atage 91 in April 1973, becoming one of the most famous and successful artist in history. Hiscareer spanned over a 78-year period, in which he created: 13,500 paintings, 100,000 prints andGuernica, 1937 by Pablo

In the painting known as Guernica, Picasso portrays a scene of endless violence, suffering, and of course death. When one looks at the painting of Guernica as a whole, one can see that there is a lot of conflict going on all at once in this painting. When breaking it down, first one might notice that in the top left hand corner of the painting there is a bull. The bull is a symbol for the Spanish rituals of bullfighting which than pertains to the nature of death from how all these bulls are killed in these fights to the death. Next, one can depict in the bottom left corner of the painting, a figure who is lying face up

“Guernica” is one of the most well-known paintings in the world. It was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1937. The painting itself measures 11ftx 26.5ft. “Guernica” depicts the bombing of the Spanish town of Guernica during the Spanish civil war. The whole thing is done in a cubist style not surprising since Picasso is known for his cubism. In the painting there are people and animals alike all of them in pain and or suffering. “Guernica” is also filled with symbolism that Picasso incorporated into it, and hidden messages. The painting is also colorless it only uses black, white and, gray.

The echo of war resonates in the air of the countries and the hearts of the people it has affected even years after it subsides. When Pablo Picasso created the larger-than-life mural Guernica, it becomes rightly apparent that Picasso wanted it to impact the people so as to gain more support and sympathy for the Spanish Republican cause, but I am not exactly sure if he realized how relatable this painting would be for all of the wars of the future that would follow after World War II. Viewing the painting from an inevitably political perspective, I find the picture to speak loudly to my own views on the necessity of war, particularly on innocent bystanders and civilians, which, from my understanding, relate greatly to Picasso’s own anti-war sentiments.

    One major theme we see through different art pieces is war and peace. One example of this is Picasso’s “Guernica.” This painting is a horizontal piece, showing different reactions cause from the war. You can see a woman wailing with her dead son in her arms. There’s also a women falling to death outside of a building and a dead soldier

Emphasizing some of aspects and areas in Picasso’s painting, he uses of dark and pale grey colors. The painting is also divided into two groups, the left side is given to the mockery civilians while on the right side is for a large number of crowd soldiers. Sad to say, that the artwork poses strong reflections are found in the strengths and power between the two said

Picasso’s Guernica will be perceived as “violent, dynamic, vital, disturbing” (Walton 1970, 347). But perceived as belonging to the category of “guernicas”—where guernicas are works with “surfaces with the colors and shapes of Picasso’s Guernica, but the surfaces are molded to protrude from the wall like relief maps of different kinds of terrain”. Picasso’s Guernica will be perceived not as violent and dynamic, but as “cold, stark, lifeless, or serene and restful, or perhaps bland, dull, boring”. (Walton 1970, 347). That Picasso’s Guernica can be perceived both as violent and dynamic and as not violent and not dynamic might be thought to imply that there is no fact of the matter whether it is violent and dynamic. But this implication holds

This painting helps show the artist, Pablo Picasso’s, frustration in the war in Guernica. Showing one overall message of the ‘suffering’, the suffering of innocent humans and animals alike. Featuring a bull in looks what to be shock, a women holding a dead child, pigeon, a dead soldier holding a flower (sign of hope), a horse in the centre whose body is overlapped and looks to be in images such as a skull, kneeling woman and on the far right a man begging to the sky (thought to be to the German planes to stop

To fully appreciate this piece of artwork, one needs not only carefully it’s analyze elements of art, but also research more in depth on Picasso’s history and background. Pablo Picasso was strongly influenced by personal and spiritual contexts throughout his artistic career, which in turn drove him to create some of the most modern and cutting edge work of his time. However, in this 1937 oil painting titled Guernica, his strongest influence was political, more precisely the tragedy and death of war. This painting is said to be depicting the aftermath of the Bombing of Guernica, which took place April 26th, 1937. Along with this bombing, The Spanish Civil War is also taking place at the time, a war between two political parties- the Republicans

Picasso was seeking to convey how devastating the Spanish Civil War was especially to the civilians. He shows the anguish the people in Spain had to endure throughout the war, both emotional and physical pain. In the painting, there is various people who appear to be in great pain and others dead. Guernica also conveyed how it affected not just a couple civilians but a clear majority of civilians as there is many who appeared to be in despair. The people of Spain had to suffer living in war zones and having their living spaces destroyed which shows how war brings agony to everyone around it not just soldiers and how people’s lives are destroyed like the mother who is holding her dead child must suffer with her baby’s death forever.

Guernica is now represented as an anti-war symbol to the world and shows viewers from all over that war results in tragedy. The painting also sends the message of how together we should learn to have peace. Guernica illustrates the disaster of war and the pain it spreads on the people around. Specifically,

The painting lies at its overwhelming size of 11.5 feet tall by 25.5 feet wide. Some viewers describe the paintings emotional intensity derives from the vast capacity, causing the feeling that it submerges the viewer in the devastating depictions and illustrations of war. Having similarities to the vastness of European paintings of the time, “Guernica” also contrasts and expresses a different message of most artworks created in the era by opposing the desire for war, instead of elevating nationalistic ideals and wanting the victory of war.

Hitler supported Franco but artist like Picasso and Dahli supported the republicans. Then in 1937 a small city in Spain named Guernica was bombed and it caused it stir amongst artists. As a result of the bombing Picasso created his oil painting, Guernica, in 1937. This painting was a representation of what Picasso was probably reading in the newspaper while in Paris. Its monochromatic, black and white color scheme can be compared to a newspaper. The viewer can read the painter from left to right or vice versa. The painting uses symbolism like the bull to represent Spain and the horse falling apart represents dismemberment. Picasso depicts the horrors of the event as people flee from a burning building and a mother holding on to her dead child screams in agony. What made this piece important was Piccaso’s use of his cubist style to voice his political opinion. He made it clear which side he was on and the discontent he held for the misfortune his home faced. The painting was put on tour as a fundraising event that only charged a pair of boots for entry. These boots were then sent to republican soldiers. This was something Pablo Picasso had never done before making this work