Picasso’s “Guernica”
Watching recent events in Afghanistan make headlines, I’ve been thinking about how important it is to humanize distant tragedies — and the unique ability of artists to do so.
Picasso’s monumental painting “Guernica” — more than 25 feet wide — is a powerful example. It is not only a piece of art but a piece of history, capturing the horror of modern warfare in a modern way.
The painting (reproduced, in this photo, on a wall in the Basque market town of Guernica) depicts a specific event. On April 26, 1937, Guernica was the target of the world’s first saturation aerial bombardment of civilians. Spain was in the midst of the bitter Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), which pitted its democratically elected government against fascist General Francisco Franco. To deter the defecting Basques, Franco allowed his fascist confederate Adolf Hitler to use the city as a guinea pig to test Germany’s new air force. The raid leveled the town, causing destruction that was unheard of at the time (although by 1944, it would be commonplace).
News of the bombing reached Pablo Picasso, who was living in Paris. Horrified by what was happening in his native country, Picasso immediately set to work sketching scenes of destruction as he envisioned them…
Bombs are falling, tearing the silent village to pieces. A woman screams into the sky, horses scream, and a man falls to the ground and dies. A bull — the symbol of Spain — contemplates them all, watching over a mother and her dead child… a modern “Pita.”
Picasso’s abstract, cubist style reinforces the message. It seems that he picked up the broken pieces from the bomb and pasted them on the canvas. The black and white tones are as striking as the newspaper photographs that reported the bombing, creating a depressing and morbid mood.
Picasso chose universal symbols, making the work a commentary on all wars. A horse with a spear in its back is a symbol of humanity succumbing to brute force. The fallen rider’s arm was severed and his sword shattered, further signs of defeat. The bull, usually a proud symbol of strength, is impotent and fearful. A frightened dove of peace can do nothing but cry. The entire scene is illuminated by the bright light of a bare bulb from above. Picasso’s painting highlighted the brutality of Hitler and Franco. And, suddenly, the whole world was watching.
The painting debuted at the Paris Exhibition in 1937 and caused an immediate sensation. For the first time, the world could see the destructive force of the rising fascist movement – a precursor to World War II.
Ultimately, Franco won the Spanish Civil War and ruled the country with an iron fist for the next 36 years. Picasso vowed never to return to Franco’s Spain. So “Guernica” was shown in New York until Franco’s death (in 1975), when he ended his decades of exile. Picasso’s masterpiece now stands as Spain’s national art in Madrid.
With each passing year, the canvas looks more and more prophetic — honoring not only the thousands who died in Guernica, but the 500,000 victims of Spain’s bitter civil war, the 55 million of World War II, and countless others from recent wars. Picasso put a human face on what we now call “collateral damage.”
