An Artist's Depiction: Guernica and The Power of Picasso

Throughout history, artwork has been used to honor the gods or God or great leaders. Sometimes artwork is just what is left behind by a culture like cave paintings and great architectural structures. Usually an artist is trying to depict a strong emotion or event that affected them in their lifetime. It may be a depiction of heaven, hell and purgatory or a simple pond with lily pads. In this episode of An Artist's Depiction, we will take a look at Picasso's powerful painting Guernica.

Pablo Picasso who was famous for cubism and abstract modern art, was greatly affected by the violence in Spain during the Spanish Civil War and the German bombing of the Spanish resistance city Guernica, in April of 1937, which killed hundreds of civilians, left him appalled. He was commissioned by Spanish rulers to create an artwork for the Paris International Art Exposition and he decided to create a powerful artwork that transcends the horrors of war throughout history. You can see the pain and suffering that people and animals experienced in the chaos of Guernica, in its black and white state of lifelessness. This painting has a stranglehold on anti-war art as you can see the anger in the creation of this painting, that you almost feel like you are thrown into the night time scene in Guernica trying to avoid bombs and shrapnel and collapsing roofs. Those bombs might have crushed and destroyed the city, but the aftermath and Picasso's depiction of the event keep the resistance against fascism and militarism alive.