The Hidden Symbolism in Picasso’s Guernica
An anti-war painting portraying civilians vulnerability against fascism
Source-Wikipedia
Pablo Picasso’s Guernica is one of the most monumental paintings in the history of modern art. This painting was an artistic translation of the aerial bombing that happened in the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War on 26th April 1937 leading to the mass killing of thousands of innocent civilians. Francisco Franco collaborated with Nazi Germany and Italy to carry out this operation and captured Northern Spain.
The Spanish Republican government commissioned Picasso to create a large-scale mural for the Spanish Pavillion at the Paris World’s Fair for the same summer when the Guernica incident occurred. Picasso was living in Nazi-occupied Paris during that time.
Just two months away from the exhibition and struggling through his own personal and creative crisis, Picasso was unable to create anything for the commission. As soon as news of the Guernica attack broke out, it shook him to the core and that became a catalyst for Picasso; he captured the war, brutal attack, and death on the canvas.
A German officer allegedly asked him, upon seeing a photo of Guernica in Picasso’s apartment, “Did you do that?” Picasso responded, “No, you did.”
