Guernica
Art by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Guernica is the world’s most well known art commentary on war. The Spanish Republican Government commissioned Pablo Picasso for a piece for the Spanish Pavilion at the International Exposition in Paris in 1937. Picasso, then living in Paris, was horrified at the devastation happening in his home country.
This masterpiece reflects upon and warns of the brutality to a town and its people but also of the devastation of war in general. There are multiple factors that make Guernica one of art history’s most significant works, not least is the urgency with which it roars.
First, this painting radiates eloquence. Guernica is pure epic poetry. It is dark. There is drama. We have a vast setting. There are supernatural forces. It is highly stylized. There are multiple stories. And you, dear viewer, are the omniscient deity. You are the one who sits in judgement. You are being asked to control the narrative from here.
