Guernica (Picasso)

Guernica is a large oil painting made in 1937 by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. Many art experts think it is one of the most powerful paintings against war ever made. It is shown in the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.

The painting uses grey, black, and white colors. It is very big, about 3.5 meters tall and almost 8 meters wide. It shows people and animals suffering from violence and chaos. You can see a hurt horse, a bull, women screaming, a dead baby, a soldier who is badly hurt, and fires.

Picasso painted Guernica while he was living in Paris. He did this after a town called Guernica, in the Basque Country in northern Spain, was bombed on April 26, 1937, by Nazi Germany’s Condor Legion and Fascist Italy. After he finished it, the painting was shown at the Spanish area of the 1937 Paris International Exposition and in other places to help raise money for people suffering in Spain during the war. Soon, the painting became very famous and helped people all over the world learn about the Spanish Civil War that happened from 1936 to 1939.

Commission

In January 1937, artist Pablo Picasso, who was living in Paris, was asked by the Spanish government to create a big artwork for their display at the Paris International Exposition. Picasso started with some early ideas but changed his plan after hearing about a bombing that happened in a town called Guernica. He decided to make this event the subject of his new artwork.

Historical context

See also: Bombing of Guernica; Spanish Civil War; and Spanish Civil War, 1937

Bombing of 26 April 1937

On 26 April 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, the town of Guernica was attacked by German airplanes sent to help General Francisco Franco. The airplanes dropped many bombs on the town for hours. This was a test of new ways to attack people in war.

Guernica was an important village for the people of the Basque Country. Many of its people were women and children at the time because most of the men were away fighting. They could not escape because the roads were blocked.

Aftermath

A reporter named George Steer wrote about what happened and told the artist Pablo Picasso about it. Picasso was living in Paris when Germany later took over the city during World War II. There is a story that a German officer saw Picasso’s painting of the event and asked if Picasso did it. Picasso answered, “No, you did.”

The painting shows women and children, representing innocent people who suffer in war. Picasso often showed women and children as the perfect example of humanity, and their suffering shows how war hurts everyone.

Creation, and the influence of Dora Maar on the painting

Picasso began painting Guernica on May 11, 1937. He worked quickly, completing the main design in just three weeks. During this time, he made small changes to the positions of figures in the painting, such as the bull and the horse.

Dora Maar helped Picasso find a big studio to paint in, located on Rue des Grands-Augustins in Paris. She was part of a group called ‘Contre-Attaque’ and believed this space was perfect for Picasso’s important protest artwork. Maar also took many photographs of Picasso as he painted, which may have influenced his style. Some think her photography inspired the black-and-white colors of Guernica, which was different from Picasso’s usual colorful paintings. Maar even helped paint part of the dying horse in the artwork. She spent 36 days watching and photographing every step of the painting’s creation.

Painting process

Guernica was painted using a special matte house paint that Picasso asked for, which had very little shine. American artist John Ferren helped prepare the large canvas, and photographer Dora Maar took pictures of the process. Maar had been working with Picasso since 1936, helping him with his studio and teaching him a special photography method called cameraless photography. Her photos not only recorded the work but also helped Picasso decide to use black and white, making the painting feel like a powerful photograph, as noted by art historian John Richardson.

Picasso usually did not let strangers watch him work, but for this painting, he allowed important visitors to see its progress. He believed this publicity would support the antifascist cause. As he worked, Picasso explained that the struggle in Spain was about freedom against harmful forces. He said his art was always a fight against such harmful ideas. Picasso spent 35 days working on the painting and finished it on June 4, 1937.

Composition

In this powerful painting, we see many sad and scary scenes inside a big room. On one side, there is a bull looking over a woman who is very sad because her child has passed away. In the middle of the room, a horse looks like it is in pain, and nearby lies a soldier who has sadly passed away.

There are also women shown who look very frightened and worried. The painting uses bright lights and strong shapes to show how terrible war can be. Some hidden pictures in the painting, like a skull and a bull, add more depth to the story Picasso wanted to tell.

Symbolism and interpretations

People see different meanings in Guernica, and even the main symbols—the bull and the horse—have many explanations. Picasso once said that the bull is just a bull and the horse is just a horse, and that any deeper meaning comes from the viewer, not from him.

Scholars agree on several ideas: the shapes of the figures show protest, the black, white, and grey colors create a sad and chaotic feeling, and the burning buildings and broken walls show both the destruction of Guernica and the horror of war. The newspaper print in the painting reminds us how Picasso heard about the attack, the light bulb may represent the sun, and the broken sword suggests the people's defeat. Some feel the whole scene traps viewers in a scary, hopeless place, made more intense by the stark black, white, and grey colors.

Exhibition

Guernica was first shown in July 1937 at the Spanish Pavilion during the Paris International Exposition. The Pavilion highlighted Spain's struggle during its civil war. The painting was displayed alongside a poem and other artworks supporting the Republican cause. Reactions to Guernica were mixed; some loved it, while others criticized its style.

After Paris, Guernica traveled to many places. It had tours in Europe, including stops in Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and London. It later went to the United States, where it was shown in museums in New York City and San Francisco. During the Vietnam War, people sometimes held peaceful protests near the painting at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Establishment in Spain

After the death of a leader in Spain, the famous painting Guernica by Pablo Picasso was allowed to return to the country in 1981. The painting had been kept in another museum, but after many discussions, it was finally brought to Spain. It was first shown in Madrid, where many people came to see it.

The painting was later moved to a special gallery in the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid. This move was made to give the painting a safe and proper place to be shown, as the original museum did not have enough space. Today, Guernica remains in this gallery, protected like other important artworks.

Tapestry at the United Nations

A large tapestry copy of Picasso's Guernica, made by Jacqueline de la Baume Dürrbach, is displayed at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York City, right at the entrance to the Security Council room. This tapestry uses several shades of brown, unlike the original painting.

The tapestry was first shown at the United Nations from 1985 to 2009, and then again in 2015. It was originally made in 1955 because Picasso would not sell the original painting to Nelson Rockefeller. The tapestry was loaned to the United Nations by the Rockefeller estate in 1985.

In February 2003, a blue curtain covered the tapestry for a short time. Some people thought this happened because television crews did not like the artwork as a background for news shows. Others believed it was done because some leaders did not want the powerful message of the painting to be seen when they spoke about war. The tapestry was moved to London in 2009 for renovations and later shown in museums before returning to the United Nations in 2015. It was taken back by the Rockefeller family in 2021 but returned to its place at the United Nations in 2022.

Significance and legacy

"Guernica" is like Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in painting—it stands for hope and peace, speaking out against war. People from many places, like El Salvador and Bosnia, think of it when they talk about great sadness caused by war.

During the 1970s, Spaniards used "Guernica" to show support for ending a strict rule and for Basque nationalism. The Basque left often used images from the painting, such as a reversed lamp. Today, "Guernica" is a strong reminder to the world about the pain and destruction of war, with a message that feels true for everyone.

Art experts say Picasso created a new way of painting in "Guernica," mixing styles to show deep feelings about war. The painting has inspired many other artists and even an actress, Kristen Stewart, who has a piece of it tattooed on her arm because it deeply moved her.