Violence, beauty, brushstrokes, war, death, and Picasso: What do we think about when we put all these elements together? Let’s consider these words as an intersection of culture and art, where all these pieces provide a particular dimension that makes art come alive. When a painting interacts with life and meaning, it becomes a tool to bring sensitivity and a new perspective. Picasso’s Guernica is a clear example of how all these aspects come together in an artistic and cultural manner.
Pablo Picasso broke into the scene with his figurative pieces, which slowly became focused on image and composition. In January, 1937 he was commissioned by Josep Lluis Sert, Max Aub, and José Benjamín to create a mural of over 120 square feet for the Spanish Pavillion at the World’s Fair in Paris. At the time there was no set subject for the piece, it wasn’t until later that year, in April, when the painter decided on the theme. After the press published stories and photographs of Franco’s German and Italian air forces bombing the city of Guernica into complete destruction, the artist decided to dedicate the mural to the tragedy.
According to Valeriano Bozal, in his book Pablo Picasso, “to gaze is to paint; to gaze is to represent, think, say, symbolize, to burden, to include, to exclude, to understand; gazes attract, convince, reflect, trap, and transcend.”
Guernica is a tragic gaze. It’s a political painting that has an opinion, is part of the discussion, and has multiple meanings interwoven. It’s a work of art that speaks its own language.
From the perspective of George H. Mead’s Symbolic Interaction, the painting comes to life as it creates awareness, and because of its universal meaning it has remained relevant. One single massive and violent act irrevocably changes the world’s history. It’s through this piece, full of pain brought about by moments that struck the lives of thousands of people, that we begin to understand society and the past.
By focusing on the relationship between Guernica, language, and society, the mural acts as a symbol of a people that we refuse to dismiss and forget. Guernica captured an era and transcended time to become a reference point of the importance of artistic expression.
Translated by María Suárez
