Guernica Investigating the Impact Essay - 1047 Words

In times of crisis and public upheaval, artistic representations emerge as both a way of remembering an event historically and as a means to interpret and overcome the past. This response is universal, and in the case of Picasso’s Guernica, the emotional, social, and political impact it had and continues to have on people perpetuates its complex universality. Guernica became a symbol of pride to the Republican supporters and a force to be reckoned with for General Franco and the Nationalists. The painting’s overwhelming response from both sides aided in the call for European and international awareness of the Spanish Civil War and reflected a horrified outrage towards immoral bloodshed - an emotion so familiar throughout the world that it†¦show more content†¦In an effort to break the morale and cause panic among his opposition, Franco sanctioned the aerial bombardment of Guernica, a historically significant Basque town, by his German and Italian allies. The da te was April 26, 1937, and after the bombing finished Guernica was left in shambles with many of its citizens killed and the rest fleeing out of fear. This strategy of attacking civilian centers was a preamble to what would be experienced during WWII. Pablo Picasso, an already famous Spanish painter and expatriate, was living in Paris at the time of the incident. The mixture of anger and grief he felt translated into the artistic Republican protest we know as Guernica. Picasso unveiled his representation during the 1937 Paris International Exhibition (or World’s Fair) only weeks after the event occurred. The fair was meant to be a celebration of modern technology, but the work exhibited in the Spanish Pavilion by Picasso and other Spanish artists was adverse to this intent. Although the Spanish Pavilion opened late in the Fair (and therefore lost a lot of its potential publicity and initial effectiveness), the people who entered were disillusioned by what they saw. Guernica, which many had preconceived notions of already, received mixed reviews: some were overly critical and equated Picasso’s work to that of a child’s, others reacted in the same way they did to his other works - with confusion and a misunderst anding of the surrealist and cubist style. Conversely, someShow MoreRelatedChapter 33 – Early 20th Century5648 Words   |  23 Pagesstatement, German artists of spirit and integrity have refused to conform. They have gone into exile or slipped into anxious obscurity... Their paintings or sculptures have been hidden or exiled. is referring to what event? How did this flight impact the art of the United States? 68. What subject matter did Jacob Lawrence use in his work, and how was it significant? 69. How did the subject matter Edward Hopper used in his art relate to the Depression era? 70. Briefly describe Surrealism