Make Art, Not War

My complete artistic illiteracy is easily illustrated by the fact that I came to Madrid and went through three museums before I realized Picasso was Spanish.  But between my contemporary Spain class and a few more guided museums visits, I'm starting to become more cultured.

I've particularly become intrigued by Picasso's "Guernica."  It's interesting because the name Guernica refers to a city in País Vasco -- the northern region of Spain. However, "guerra" is the Spanish word for war, and that is also what the painting refers to. The Spanish Civil War to be exact.

Contrasting somewhat from the American Civil War, the Spanish Civil War happened in the not to distant past. From 1936 to 1939, the Nationalists led by Francisco Franco battled against the Spanish Republic, ultimately ending in a victory for the Spanish fascist movement, known as Falange. Franco then took the reigns of the country, ruling as an authoritarian dictator from 1939 until his death in 1975.  It's hard for me to comprehend that only 40 years ago, this country was under a dictator's regime. 

But what's even harder to comprehend is the violence that took place during the actual fighting itself.  In the words of my professor, "The Spanish Civil War was not a war of gentlemen. It was a guerra sucia (dirty war)." Thousands upon thousands of soldiers died, but so did many civilians. And civilians were killed in masses when German and Italian planes dropped bombs over Guernica on April 26, 1937. 

Amidst the widespread death and destruction that ensued, the Spanish Republican government commissioned Picasso to paint a mural for the 1937 World's Fair. Through "Guernica," Picasso depicted the immense suffering that war inflicts, particularly on innocent civilians.  The painting has become an infamous anti-war symbol, denouncing violence and promoting peace internationally.

The oil painting currently resides in Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, though it has traveled all over the world on tours.

The painting itself is massive -- 11 feet tall and almost 26 feet wide. In all black and white, it shows people, animals, and buildings all wrenched by violence. The result is a devastating mayhem.  To the left, a bull is standing over a woman holding her dead child in her arms. In the center lies a horse, falling over from a deep wound and with a spear protruding from its mouth. On the horse's left, a person appears to be falling into a fire. The rest of the painting is a mix of images and people distorted by misery. 

Needless to say, viewing this painting is a pretty depressing experience. But it's obvious why it sends such a strong message about the horrors of war.