Pablo Picasso
138

Pablo Picasso. Guernica, 1937


GUERNICA

1937

Oil on canvas

349x776 cm

Madrid, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia

War years  

Guernica  

The 26 th of April ,1937. The Bask's town Guernica was become the goal for bombing with the Franko's planes Ju-52 of the legion "Condor". Twenty- two tons of bombs were thrown off at all. There were results: center of the town was practically pulled down from the ground, more then 70% of buildings were destroyed fully or partly, more 1,600 of people were killed. The publishing of those events were done by the English journalist John Steer who had been in Guernica soon after that tragedy, he inspected destructions and inquired local tenants and also found splinters of bombs with the German brands.

"Guernica" was ordered to Picasso from the Spanish government which was going to place it on the World Exhibition in Paris. The painter represented the picture in May,1937. The huge picture (3,5 of high and 7,8 meter of wide) was drawn with oil in black-and- white style during one month. The international journalist Medvedenko A.V. talked that the painter "worked boisterous as madman. The work had been getting on so rush that it could be seemed that he had deliberated the picture at great length and in detail long ago."

At first the "Guernica" was represented for general review in June,1937 in Spanish pavilion of the World Exhibition and had been aroused very unexpected reaction from critics and even his adorers. The French architect Le Corbusier , who attended on opening that pavilion, remembered: "Guernica" generally saw backs of visitors" and the artist remembered later: "I listened different responses about my "Guernica" from friends and enemies ".

In 1939 this picture was displaced in New York conditional that it would be back in Spain if democracy would be established in that country. In 1967 the government of Spain after some extenuation of General Franco's authoritarian regime tried to return "Guernica" but Picasso replied with refuse . Only in 1981 it was come back in the motherland of the artist. The terms to the picture are various as now as during Picasso's time. Wariness is manifested from political workers at first turn. It is known that a copy of the picture was closed with drapery in the building of the United Nations in the USA in 2003. It was coincided with debates of intrusion into Iraq. One day a Nazi officer glimpsed a photo of "Guermica" on the table asked: "Did you do that?". Picasso responded, "No, you did."



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Comments

2012
#3. Natasha, USA, Arizona
I love this painting. I`m not exactally sure why. I`m currently writin an essay on this painting and was lookin into the background. It speaks. Very loudly.
19 September
2011
#2. bob, trinidad
Guernica, GREAT!!!
14 March
2010
#1. rob, London
Guernica - Genius!
11 February

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