This political masterpiece is Picasso's reaction to the massacre of civilians committed by the US and South Korean military forces in the period of October to December, 1950. About 35,000 people were killed in the vicinity of Sinchon those days.
Referring to Francisco Goya's painting "The Third of May 1808" (1814) which depicts the shooting of Spanish civilians by Napoleon soldiers, Picasso worked in a manner typical of his late art period. He focuses the viewer's attention on certain points: what the soldiers with masked faces are bearing in their hands is not rifles, but something abstract, defining aggression in general; one of them has a sword in his hand that symbolizes the historicity of war; all the people to be shot are women (some of them pregnant) and children, and those preparing to die are facing the viewer directly.
21 September Pascal from New York wrote: 'Like everything, you must study or practice to appreciate. If you have eaten burgers and pizza your whole life, it may be difficult to appreciate sushi.'
16 July steve from USA wrote: 'Breathtaking as everything he's ever done. Rich vibrant colors and sharp visceral angles. Picasso is a master'
28 June Nikolai from Switzerland wrote: 'The painting is certainly impressive, to say the least. But what has always struck me as curious is that none of Picasso's other works from this period are anywhere near as accomplished as this painting. It is a well known fact that at one time it was a common practice in teaching painting, for the master to repaint areas of the student's work. In the case of this painting, I cannot help but wonder how much of it might have actually been painted by Picasso's father.'
14 June Ricardo Lapin from Switzerland wrote: 'How much perversion to treat a couple as if they were an object (a model, "muse", etc.) and be indifferent to painting their suffering over and over again, for years without doing anything to help her.'
24 May byats wurnt from Switzerland wrote: 'I think, when dealing with an abstract piece, one must take an approach similar to reading.
On the right, I can see buildings, a staple of modern life.
Warm colours, may indicate heat?
There's a curtain on the left harlequin.
Now we just have to make sense of it.'
15 May Wong Tsz Hang from Switzerland wrote: 'The drawings are confusing, there are many colours mixed together and don't know what it is. And it looks unusual.'
23 April Santiago from San Diego wrote: 'Did Picasso ever draw some daises white and yellow on a window sill?'
30 March Cassandra from Scandinavia wrote: 'This in intruiguing, I am researching this painting for a school project.'
25 March Cosma from Germany wrote: ':) Look at this great picture and smile. GO PAINTIG NOT WAR'
24 February Vic from Melbourne wrote: 'Can't believe Picasso made a sculpture of Ye himself'
12 February Alan from Rochester wrote: 'Anybody know in what museum or collection HEAD OF A WOMAN WITH BLUE HAT RED RIBBON
(Tête de femme au chapeau bleu a ruban rouge), 1939 is located?'
10 February Micheal Scott from Rochester wrote: 'This says a lot about our society.'
