"Guernica" by Pablo Picasso, 1937.
Ok, I didn't take this photo, but the piece provides a lot of visual reading material as an artist. Picasso's Guernica depicts the bombing of Guernica, Spain by German and Italian forces on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. Hundreds of civilians were killed. When viewing this painting, the horrors of the incidents are immediately apparent. Not only do we see it in the mangled, stricken faces of the subjects, but also in the awkward, strained shapes and spacing, the rigid use of line, the lack of color, and the dark and dismal shade, or value, of the painting.
These elements; line, shape, form, value, color, space, are the language of art. They are what a work of art are made up of, and it is through these elements that an artist can create not only the image that he or she wants to convey, but also the underlying message or the mood of the work.
Christy, I have used this painting in my Spanish classes to teach about the history of the Spanish Civil War, but I have never talked specifically about the artistic choices involved, aside from a nod towards cubism. It would be fun to teach this subject together and really delve into both the art and the history. I like how we can come at something from so many angles.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that overall I am not a huge fan of Picasso. However, I love this painting! It is so powerful and, upon first viewing it, it really moved me. The lines, shapes, and stark black-and-white really get across the mood and tragedy of the event. This is such a great example of how we read works of art in order to gain meaning. Thank you for sharing this one!
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