Guernica — Pablo Picasso
A Pictorial Condemnation of War and Suffering.
Introduction
One of the most iconic and powerful artworks of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica” stands as a visual testament to the horrors of war, specifically the Nazi bombing of the Basque city of Guernica in northern Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Commissioned by the Republican government of Spain for the World Fair in Paris, this monumental black-and-white canvas has transcended its historical context to become a universal symbol of the atrocities committed during wartime.
Historical Context
Guernica was created in response to the bombing of Guernica by Nazi forces under the command of General Franco, the leader of the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War. Picasso, who was living in Paris at the time and had been appointed an honorary director-in-exile of the Prado Museum in Madrid, channeled his outrage into this monumental work. It was initially exhibited in Paris, where it stirred controversy for both its Cubist style and its political theme, amidst the rise of fascist movements in Europe.
The mural later traveled to America, where it continued to evoke strong reactions. Picasso, however, refused to return it to Spain until democracy was restored in his homeland.
Most of Guernica’s men were away fighting on behalf of the Republicans, and at the time of the bombing the town was populated mostly by women and children as reflected in Picasso’s painting. Art theorist Rudolf Arnheim writes:
The women and children make Guernica the image of innocent, defenseless humanity victimized. Also, women and children have often been presented by Picasso as the very perfection of mankind. An assault on women and children is, in Picasso’s view, directed at the core of mankind.
Interpretations
Painted in monochrome with shades of grey, black, and white, the absence of color adds impact to the flattened Cubist forms, emphasizing key faces and objects in white. This choice may have been intended to give the painting a photojournalistic realism or to enhance the sense of panic and terror. The scene depicted in Guernica is a chaotic room filled with anguished figures — adults, children, and animals — all suffering the brutal consequences of war.
Art historian Patricia Failing said,
The bull and the horse are important characters in Spanish culture. Picasso himself certainly used these characters to play many different roles over time. This has made the task of interpreting the specific meaning of the bull and the horse very tough. Their relationship is a kind of ballet that was conceived in a variety of ways throughout Picasso’s career.
Symbolism and Imagery
A profound symbolism unfolds within its expansive canvas.
The bull, embodying the virility of man, is pierced by shrapnel, a poignant portrayal of human vulnerability. A wailing woman, cradling a lifeless child in her arms, resonates with the pieta image, embodying the enduring suffering of women in the face of war. The horse, symbolizing innocent people, whinnies in agony, its suffering accentuated by a soldier’s severed arm holding a broken sword from which a flower emerges, symbolizing martyrdom.
Above this scene, a blazing light serves as a metaphor for the bombs that befell the town, a stark representation of torture. Further symbolism permeates the artwork, with a partially obscured dove symbolizing peace, forming a light-emitting crack in the wall that represents hope. Knife-points replacing the tongues of the bull, horse, and wailing woman vividly indicate the sharpness of their pain. Concealed images, including a human skull formed by the nostrils and upper teeth of the horse and the skull-like head of another bull shaped by the angle of its front leg, add layers of complexity to the narrative, inviting viewers to delve into the profound depths of Picasso’s condemnation of war and human suffering.
When pressed to explain the elements in Guernica, Picasso said
…this bull is a bull and this horse is a horse… If you give a meaning to certain things in my paintings it may be very true, but it is not my idea to give this meaning. What ideas and conclusions you have got I obtained too, but instinctively, unconsciously. I make the painting for the painting. I paint the objects for what they are.
Conclusion
Picasso’s Guernica stands as a powerful condemnation of war and its devastating impact on humanity. Through its complex symbolism and intense imagery, the painting invites viewers to reflect on the enduring consequences of conflict and the urgent need for peace.