Preview

The Interpretations of Guernica

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1010 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Interpretations of Guernica
The interpretations of Guernica

It is certain to say that Pablo Picasso is one of the most famous and influential artist of the twentieth century. Many of his paintings have deep meaning to them, but the painting Guernica was one of his work that really stood out - to me, at least. The painting was inspired by the bombing of German and Italian forces on the Spanish Basque town called Guernica. The factors in it can symbolize many things and people will have different interpretations on it, but two factors that are boldly present in the artwork and that are controversial between many critics are the bull and the horse. These two elements of the painting have numerous perspectives from many different critics. Also, the absence of critical elements in the painting to the bombing of Guernica plays an important role of how people perceive this painting. An interesting perspective of this painting comes from an American professor of History of Art at the University of Virginia named Frederick Hartt. He relates the bull to a Minotaur: a creature that has a head of a bull and a body of a man. In the ancient Greek and ancient Roman cultures, this hybrid creature is a symbol of violence and rage. Hartt, however, relates the Minotaur to the view of the Surrealists as a symbol to man’s irrational side and contrasts this symbol with the symbol of the horse. Hartt says, “If the Minotaur symbolizes the irrationality of Fascism and man 's mistreatment of man, the horse represents the anguish of Spanish citizens, and the end of civilization.” In contrast to Hartt’s belief of the symbolism in the bull, a poet and a friend of Picasso named Juan Larrea thought the complete opposite. He does not see the bull as a Minotaur that symbolizes irrationality and violence; instead, Larrea see the bull as the representation of the anger and fury of the Guernica people. He believes this because the bull is a “totem” of the Peninsula area. On another note, Larrea and Hartt have simular



Bibliography: Rudolf Arnheim, The Genesis of a Painting: Picasso 's Guernica (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973) John Berger, The Success and Failure of Picasso (New York: Pantheon Books, 1965) Mary Mathews Gedo, Picasso: Art As Autobiography Frederick Hartt, Art: A History of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The horse and bull are vital characters in Spanish culture. Some critics believe the rampaging bull, a major motif of destruction here, represents Picasso’s ego. However, other critics suppose the bull symbolizes the onslaught of Fascism. Picasso said it meant darkness and brutality, presumably reminiscent of his prophetic. The mother with the dead child represents the Catholic image of the Virgin and her child. The bird, between the heads of the horse and the bull is a portrayal of broken peace. Some believe the flower in the soldier’s hand is an interpretation of a ray of hope amongst all of the destruction. The triangle in the middle of the canvas suggests the composition of a Greek temple. He also stated that “the horse dying in misery represented the people of Guernica” (Guernica). The entire scene represents Spain itself. The electric light bulb, at the top of the canvas, and the oil lamp held by the woman reaching out the window represent new and old ways of seeing (Sayre 522).…

    • 1650 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    This is one of Picasso’s paintings which is based on surrealism. This painting is also shown in the book. The picture is of his lover Marie Walter, his lover. Picasso was in a very unhappy marriage, and he had an affair with Marie Walter. The painting shows two sides to the same person. The left side is of conscious side which appears good, while the right side is of subconscious which is dark and dirty. The picture is based on surrealism as it is basically fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtaposition of subject matter. There were many other painters and artists who were involved with surrealism as well. Some of them were Salvador Dali, Max Ernst etc.…

    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Menil Experience

    • 1291 Words
    • 4 Pages

    I started my journey walking to the right then into the very first room to the right. As I continued my on my way I came across Pablo Picasso’s Head of Woman 1943 and Woman in a Red Armchair 1929. As a child in elementary I remembered learning about him and being so curious in his work, how different he was compared to the norm. As I stood in front of each other these paintings I questioned what is art? I too could create something so similar however it would be only be after being inspired by his work. To whom does he give credit to for being so imaginative and willingness to be different and out of the ordinary? This is how he became PICSSO!…

    • 1291 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pablo Picasso was a renowned 20th century Spanish artist. One of his most famous works, Guernica, was created to be the centerpiece for the Spanish Pavilion of the 1937 World's Fair. This painting is a powerful political statement and expresses without words the devastation of war. Picasso’s inspiration was the 1937 bombing of Guernica, Spain by the Nazi’s. Guernica depicts the horrific consequences of war and how effected those involved are, especially the innocents. Though the painting received poor reviews from the Germans and Soviets, a German fair guide stated that the painting was "a hodgepodge of body parts that any four-year-old could have painted…” I find it to be extremely meaningful. Guernica is a symbolic representation of the ruin…

    • 218 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Peter Goldsworthy’s novel Maestro is substantially autobiographical. Through the development of the narrator Paul Crabbe from adolescence into maturity, Peter recalls aspects of his own experiences growing up in Darwin. Goldsworthy employs a musical style throughout the novel to engage the audience with visual imagery. The style features used to create characterisation and descriptive settings are all distinctively visual and help to shape the meaning of the text. Similarly Pablo Picasso used imagery to create meaning and shock viewers through his painting Guernica. The painting is Picasso’s protest against the massacre and suffering of innocent civilians during the bombing of the small town of Guernica by the Germans during the Spanish Civil War.…

    • 630 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Picasso draw the Guernica, as an anti-war message, and so it could represent a lot of things. Any war, or terrorist attack that cause millions innocent people die, could be related to this drawing…

    • 78 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Characteristics of Abstract Expressionist Paintings-optical buzz, all-over composition, Matisse sometimes painted images on large canvases, as did Picasso but paintings still retained an object like character- the viewer needed to stand back to see the complete composition. Abstract expressionist paintings, on the other hand, draw the spectator into them. The field of vision is thus larger than the field of vision of the spectator, who finds himself in a world beyond measurement (class handouts) "Portable Mural"…

    • 1843 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Picasso 's "Guernica" (1937) and Goya 's "The Third of May" (1814) are paintings that are created to communicate an issue of concern of the artist. In order to truly understand the impact that these paintings have on people, and why that impact is so strong, a person must analyse the content of them.…

    • 802 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Revelation Essay

    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The opening lines of the poem initiate the main themes; “Black bull” introduces one of the themes which are gender stereotyping. This suggests the bull is powerful, strong and very angry. Females are then introduced in the poem, “eggs and milk”. This suggests females are pale, delicate and easily broken. The poet highlights the theme of stereotypes by placing “black bull” above “eggs and milk”. This is to effectively state that the black bull is on top of eggs and milk which emphasises on the importance of gender stereotyping.…

    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The mural painted by an artist shows a Hispanic man who’s going to war with other Hispanic men a few feet above him on horses. The man holds a weapon and a flag which resembles his country. His expression is nowhere near fear instead it’s courage and commitment on what he’s going to do. There’s a title stating “La Revolucion Mexicana” that translates to The Mexican Revolution that happened in Mexico. Then a phrase “I rather die on my feet than live on my knees” is a metaphor of what the man in the painting had to say. In relations to an image, this painting signifies a protest from the Hispanic…

    • 112 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Les Demoiselles D'Avignon

    • 5689 Words
    • 23 Pages

    Painted in Paris during the summer of 1907, Picasso had created hundreds of sketches and studies in preparation for the final work. He long acknowledged the importance of Spanish art and Iberian sculpture as influences on the painting. The work is believed by critics to be influenced by African tribal masks and the art of Oceania, although Picasso denied the connection; many art historians remain skeptical about his denials. Several experts maintain that, at the very least, Picasso visited the Musée d'Ethnographie du Trocadéro (known today as Musée de l'Homme) in the spring of 1907 where he saw and was unconsciously influenced by African and Tribal art several months before completing Demoiselles.[5][6] Some critics argue that the painting was a reaction to Henri Matisse's Le bonheur de vivre and Blue Nude.…

    • 5689 Words
    • 23 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Guernica, Picasso 1937

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Spanish painter Picasso was a cubist and his worldwide famous ‘Guernica’ is a mural-sized flat oil painting on canvas (3.5 metres tall and 7.8 metres wide). It is all greys, blacks and whites and was painted in 1937. Picasso started the painting when he heard that the Germans had just bombed the quiet and traditional Basque town of Guernica on 26 April 1937 in support of the Spanish Nationalist forces of the Fascist General Franco during the Spanish Civil War. The broken sword near the bottom of the painting symbolizes the defeat of the people at the hand of their tormentors. The shape and posture of the bodies express protest, Picasso uses black, white, and grey paint to set a dark, sober mood and express pain and chaos, buildings in flames and crumbling walls not only express the destruction of Guernica, but reflect the destructive power of civil war. The newspaper print used in the painting reflects how Picasso learned of the massacre and the light bulb in the painting represents the sun. Picasso’s monumental work showed the effect on both people and animals. The distorted forms and the monochromatic palette clearly show the grief of the people for example, he shows a fighter and a mother and child with displaced features and ghost like forms along with a woman on fire running from a burning building. The fine patterns in the centre of the painting resembles words on torn pieces of newspaper, suggesting that art is as powerful as the mass media in communicating a message. Chaos and despair are amplified by sharp, angular shapes, particularly the bold triangular form at the centre of the painting and vivid contrasts of light and shade.…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hall of the Bulls

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages

    There is no meaning or purpose of the prehistoric painting “Hall of the Bulls” (left wall),Lascaux, France ca. 15,000-13,000 BCE. Largest Bull 11”6” long. They are unknown but it is clear that painters were concerned mostly with representing the animals, and not with locating them in a specific place or on a common ground line. On the walls of Lascaux cave,this painting shows the two basic approaches to drawing and painting. The difference in the styles suggest that different artists painted the animals at different times. While most of the drawing is on a common ground line (the horizontal base of the composition) Some seem to float above the viewers head, like clouds in the sky. The painting has no setting,background, and no indication of place. The Second painting “Rhinoceros, wounded man, and disemboweled bison, painting the the well, Lascaux France, Ca. 15,000-13,000 BCE. Bison 3' 8” long. Same as the first, suggest that they're were again two painters. At the left is a rhinoceros, rendered with all skilled attention to animal detail . Beneath it's tail are two rows of three dots of uncertain significance. To the right is a bison, more schematically painted probably by someone else, which nonetheless successfully suggested the animals bristling rage. Between the two beasts is a bird-faced man with outstretched arms and hands with only four fingers. The man in the painting is depicted with far less care and detail than either animal. The painter also made the gender of the “man” clear with the explicit rendering of his genitals. The man leaning in this painting is ambiguous. Is he leaning back and unharmed, is he wounded or dead? Do the staff and spear belong to him? There are also many questions with this painting pertaining to the placement of several objects such as the man, rhino, bison, and weather or not it was indeed the man who injured the animals. Researchers can be sure of nothing, but if the figures were placed beside each other to tell a story, then…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the far left corner, there is a bull standing tall and looking very calm comparing to other living things in the picture. Near the bull there are also a terrified horse and a dead soldier just under it. The horse is crying in pain because its body is stabbed; while its rider, the soldier, was cut into pieces with his broken sword pierced into his chest. The three characters, the bull, the horse and the soldier, symbolize the tradition of bullfighting in Spain. The bull itself represents the country Spain. In this case, the hero of justice, the soldier, had lost his battle to the dark bull. This represents the suppression of the Basques race by the Spanish government.…

    • 120 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays