Pablo Picasso’s Guernica is filled with intricate imagery and hidden symbolism, and is considered by many art historians to be the ‘single greatest piece of protest art’. The enormous canvas might be overwhelming to examine, with everything from harlequins to Christian iconography to scenes of bullfighting. Today, we will do an in-depth analysis of Guernica symbolism to help you understand this famous piece of art.
What exactly is the meaning of Guernica?
The fact is that there isn’t a straightforward solution. The work’s wide range of allusions and symbols, many of which date from different periods of art history, helped to bring it in conversation with a larger Western art tradition.
The artwork primarily aims to portray the 1937 airstrike on Guernica, which occurred during the Spanish Civil War. Francisco Franco, Spain’s fascist general, collaborated with German soldiers to carry out a major assault that destroyed the city and killed hundreds of civilians. This was a catastrophe for Picasso, and he needed to capture it in his own unique way.
Guernica is dominated by symbols of loss and the afterlife, as well as references to different mythologies and historical events. Guernica’s meaning is enigmatic and difficult to nail down, but one recurring element is its anti-fascist tone.
In June of 1937, Picasso painted the renowned Guernica picture. Its title relates to the same-named city, which was attacked by Nazi bombers during the Spanish Civil War, destroying three-quarters of the old town and killing and injuring hundreds of inhabitants. Only by looking at each of his aesthetic choices for its distinct symbolic meaning can one begin to appreciate the art. Guernica is both a horrific masterwork and a tribute to a sad event in human history.
Only by looking at each of his aesthetic choices for its distinct symbolic meaning can one begin to appreciate the art. Guernica is both a horrific masterwork and a tribute to a sad event in human history.
Before we begin examining all hidden symbols & meanings in Picasso’s Guernica, let’s take a look at the painting itself, and learn a little history behind it.
Guernica
Guernica, a portrayal of a painful and tragic event, was produced for the Spanish Pavilion at the 1937 International Exposition in Paris. The news of the German aerial bombing of the Basque town whose name the piece bears, which the artist had seen in the dramatic photos published in several publications, notably the French weekly L’Humanité, inspired Pablo Picasso to paint the scenario in this magnificent work. Despite this, neither the studies nor the completed film include a single reference to a specific incident, instead serving as a broad condemnation of war’s barbarism and cruelty.
The massive painting is designed as a big billboard, a testament to the horrors of the Spanish Civil War and a foreshadowing of what was to come in World War II. The subdued colours, the intensity of each of the themes, and the way they are expressed are all crucial to the scene’s tremendous sorrow, which would become the icon for all of contemporary society’s catastrophic catastrophes.
Guernica has elicited a slew of differing interpretations, owing in part to the artist’s purposeful use of only grey tones in the work.
Anthony Blunt, a Guernica expert, separates the protagonists of the pyramidal composition into two groups, the first of which is made up of three animals: the bull, the injured horse, and the flying bird that can just be seen in the distance on the left.
The human beings make up the second group, which includes a dead soldier and several women: the one on the upper right, holding a lamp and leaning through a window, the mother on the left, wailing as she holds her dead child, the one rushing in from the right, and finally the one crying out to the heavens, her arms raised as a house burns down behind her.
It’s worth remembering that two years prior, in 1935, Picasso created the etching Minotauromaquia, a composite work combining all the symbols of his cycle dedicated to the legendary beast that stands as Guernica’s most immediate cousin into a single picture.
Incidents in Picasso’s personal life, as well as political events afflicting Europe between the wars, merged in the motifs the painter was using at the time, resulting in Guernica and all the studies and “postscripts,” which are considered among the most representative works of art of the twentieth century.
The Sun Is A Technologically Advanced Eye
The combined eye/light bulb in the upper portion, one of many complex motifs in the piece, implies everything from God’s watching eye to Franco’s angry gaze bearing witness to the consequences of his commands. The fact that the attack on Guernica was partly carried out to test new artillery and blitzkrieg tactics has a linguistic resonance; the Spanish word for bulb (bombilla) is quite similar to the Spanish word for bomba.
The light bulb/eye might be interpreted as a reference to modern technology being exploited for evil ends. Light as a symbol of creation dates back to the Book of Genesis, when God speaks the words “Let there be light.” to create the Earth out of formless darkness. The light of Guernica shines on destruction rather than creation. Given the light bulb/God-like eye’s prominence in the setting, it may serve to expose contemporary technology’s destructive powers.
Picasso’s Black And White Color Scheme Is An Homage To Newspapers
While there is no actual newspaper in the painting, Picasso’s stylised black and white palette, along with the near-typographical hash mark patterning, recalls the medium. Picasso first learned of the air strike on Guernica and its aftermath via a newspaper storey that contained black-and-white photographs of the incident.
The use of reporting also contributes to the painting’s status as a document bearing objective testimony to the inhabitants’ misery.
The Mother Cradling Her Fallen Child Evokes Early Christian Imagery
Picasso incorporated one of the most recognised motifs in Western art, the distraught mother clutching her dying child, echoing the pietà, on the far left of the picture. Religious masterpieces by Titian and Michelangelo depict Christ’s mother Mary cradling Jesus moments after his corpse was taken from the cross in some of the most renowned renditions of the pietà.
Mary’s sorrow is secularised in Picasso’s pietà by exchanging her loss for that of a Guernican mother.
The Terrified Horse Is The Guernican People
The horse, which likewise stands in the middle of the painting, is the single largest figure in the entire composition. Picasso interpreted the picture in his own way, claiming it signified sorrow and loss while also evoking the biblical apocalypse’s four horsemen. There are numerous possible meetings, as there are with all symbols in the picture.
Because horses are usually viewed as friends during warfare because to their role in combat, the horse might represent the people of Guernica who are fighting for survival. Despite its apparent distress, the horse’s head continues to rise, indicating that it is fighting for its life. This might be interpreted as a symbol of the people’s perseverance in the face of fascism.
The Bull May Signify Fascism
When poet Juan Larrea first mentioned Guernica to Picasso and offered it as a subject for a painting, Picasso stated he had no clue what a city might look like after such an incident. “a bull in a China shop, run amok.” Larrea stated. In the instance of Guernica, the bull in issue might have been Franco and the fascist state’s overwhelming force. It’s also commonly believed that Picasso saw the bull as a symbol of cruelty and darkness, which lends credence to the view of it as a symbol of fascism.
Picasso frequently depicted himself as a Minotaur, the legendary half-man/half-bull, in other works. Picasso may have used the bull to depict something more personal to him, such as his own response to the event. Given that Minotaurs commonly engage in aggressive behaviour in his art, the allusion to the legendary beast might be another evidence that it embodies fascism’s terrors.
The Dove Symbolizes The End Of Peace
The dove is another of Picasso’s multiple symbols, albeit it is mainly covered by darkness and considerably smaller than other pictures. Few birds have as much symbolic weight as the dove, which is commonly used as a symbol of peace. With its anguished look and shattered torso, Picasso’s rendition implies the end of peace.
Its little slit of light, which is contrasted by its generally smoky black appearance, indicates the presence of both good and bad intentions during the fight.
The Horse Hides The Image Of A Skull
The picture of a human skull may be seen in the horse’s nostrils and teeth if you look attentively. This photograph, like all of Guernica’s images, may be interpreted in a multitude of ways. The skull might be another symbol of the people’s sorrow, and it certainly emphasises the magnitude of the loss and damage that occurred that day.
Every Tongue Is A Knife
None of the three characters bearing their tongues in the composition – the horse, the distressed mother, and the bull – have a rounded tongue. Instead, the tongues come to a dagger-like tip. Another example of ordinarily ordinary people being heightened by the horrors of Franco’s terrible conduct.
The Dismembered Soldier Represents Both Futility And Hope
The mutilated body of a soldier lies near the bottom of the image, with just his head and arms visible. This is another illustration of the event’s human toll. The soldier has a broken sword and a flower in one hand.
The sword might reflect the inhabitants of Guernica’s incapacity to battle contemporary warfare technology. The flower, engulfed in light, may represent optimism in the midst of chaos.
There Are Harlequins Sprinkled Throughout The Painting
Picasso was more than happy to include his signature themes into Guernica. He was able to include harlequin characters into the composition, which might be difficult to spot. The harlequins are largely concealed beneath the painting’s surface, buried behind other motifs. The largest is in the middle, and it tears like a diamond. When looking at the artwork from a different perspective, you can see the others better.
Harlequins are also connected with the underworld in a mythical sense, which may imply loss of life and devastation, possibly as a nod to his earlier work.
The Trio Of Women Has Many Possible Meanings
The painting’s right-hand trio of tightly clustered ladies can be interpreted in a variety of ways. They might symbolise the three fates who ruled over life in Greek and Roman mythology. It might be a reference to Liberty Leading the People, given the appearance of the torch in one of their hands. Another possibility is the three martyred virgins of early Christianity.
However, there is a more intimate possibility. Picasso’s special stake in defeating Franco may be alluded to by the three women. During the weeks he spent painting the piece, his mother and sister remained in Barcelona, placing them in danger if another Guernica-style strike occurred. Picasso was reportedly connected with three different women at the time, thus the people in the picture might represent his wife and two mistresses.
The Woman Holding The Kerosene Lamp Represents Soviet Russia
A five-pronged sign adjacent to a crescent shape in the window beside the woman holding the light may be seen if you look attentively. The Communist star, sickle, and hammer are represented by this symbol. The lady grasping the light may represent Russia, as this picture was used on the Soviet Union’s flag.
Russia, which was at the time an adversary of Germany, might be viewed as a prospective friend for the inhabitants of Guernica.
The Horse’s Leg Hides A Bull
Another figure was constructed up of parts, this time with a bull’s head in the horse’s leg. Picasso indicates bullfighting by placing it underneath the horse’s belly, with its horns pointing higher. Bullfighting has both romantic and violent connotations. Picasso plays with its connotations and allows for many readings by invoking a sport associated with Spanish history, masculinity, and intimacy in the loss-plagued composition.
Given that the bull may represent fascism and the horse may represent Guernica’s population, the image may be seen as the fascist dictatorship hurting the people.
The Smoldering Animal Tails Recall The Charred Rubble Of The City
Both the visible bull and the horse’s tails resemble rising plumes of smoke, a deliberate reminder of the town’s burned-out state during Franco’s war.
If you would like to learn more about this astounding painting, then I would suggest watching the video featured below.
(The video is “Guernica: What inspired Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece? BBC News” all copyright to the video belongs to the BBC)
.
Information Citations
En.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/.
