Picasso's Guernica depicts the bombing of the Basque town by the same name by German planes causing widespread destruction and civilian deaths during the Spanish Civil War. The year is 1937 and World War II is looming in the horizon. Picasso shows us the chaos of the attack. Guernica is about the tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians. This work has gained a monumental status, becoming a perpetual reminder of the tragedies of war and a call for peace.
Technically, Guernica is a triumph of cubist linework. All the figures blend into eachother. Finding where one ends and the next begin adds much complexity to this painting. Searching for answers is a theme of this work reflected in the content of the painting. For the sake of highlighting the composition, I have colored in the figures to identify them.
On the far left in orange is a bull. In the center in red is a horse. On top, in yellow, is a sun/eye/lightbulb. The remaining six figures are all people in various states of unrest. The man in green on the bottom is dead. On the left, the pink woman clutches a dead infant (in blue). On the right we see a burning building and a person trapped inside it (the light green figure). Two people (in purple and blue) look on in curiosity and horror.
The purple person on top showcase Picasso's abstract minimalist style. Only the face and arm are shown but it is enough for someone to recognize him as a person. Picasso only gives our brain the bare minimum we need to register figures. He conceals as much as he reveal with every line. His impossible geometry hides many secrets. The horse, which initially appears to be trampling the man, has in fact been injured and we can see it collapsing on its right knee. The dead green man is a casualty of armed conflict--he holds a broken sword in his right hand (highlighted in yellow). Despite Guernia depicting war, it carries a powerful non-violence message. Hidden in the background flies a dove (between the bull and horse).
On the far left in orange is a bull. In the center in red is a horse. On top, in yellow, is a sun/eye/lightbulb. The remaining six figures are all people in various states of unrest. The man in green on the bottom is dead. On the left, the pink woman clutches a dead infant (in blue). On the right we see a burning building and a person trapped inside it (the light green figure). Two people (in purple and blue) look on in curiosity and horror.
The purple person on top showcase Picasso's abstract minimalist style. Only the face and arm are shown but it is enough for someone to recognize him as a person. Picasso only gives our brain the bare minimum we need to register figures. He conceals as much as he reveal with every line. His impossible geometry hides many secrets. The horse, which initially appears to be trampling the man, has in fact been injured and we can see it collapsing on its right knee. The dead green man is a casualty of armed conflict--he holds a broken sword in his right hand (highlighted in yellow). Despite Guernia depicting war, it carries a powerful non-violence message. Hidden in the background flies a dove (between the bull and horse).
does anyone know how I can get a copy of this picture 60" across, jdemarco316@comcast.net
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