Guernica (Final)

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    GuernicaGroup 13

    Jessica FitzGerald, Stephanie Fuller,

    Daniel Rolph & Dayle Sanders

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    Sources

    The Times [Online Archive]

    The International Handbook on Innovation, Shavinina, V. L

    Picassos Guernica: History, Transformations, Meanings, Chipp, H. B.

    La Destruccon de Guernica Vidal, C (Translated byMiller, P)

    Guernica! Guernica! Southworth, R. H.

    Figure 1

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    The Spanish Civil War

    Began 17th July 1936 with a Pronunciamiento (Spanish for declaration or

    announcement) by Military leaders

    The Rebels wanted the reinstatement of the Spanish Monarchy, as well as

    the repeal of laws restricting the power of the catholic church

    The two sides were known as Nationalists (rebel forces) and Republicans (those

    opposed to the revolution)

    Nationalists were supported by Germany and Italy

    Republicans were supported by the Soviet union and International Brigades

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    Attack on Guernica

    On 26th April, aircraft of the Condor Legionand Aviazione Legionaria attacked theBasque Town of Guernica

    Attack began at 4:30 in the evening, with 5

    waves of bombers attacking with highexplosive and incendiary bombs

    During and after the raid, fighter aircraftmachine-gunned people on the roads inand around Guernica, including the Timesspecial correspondent

    Estimated Casualties between 200 400,although Basque propaganda claimed over1600.

    Figure 2

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    The Mural

    In January 1937, Picasso was approached to create a mural for Spanish Republics

    pavilion at Paris World Fair

    The Pavilion was propaganda for Spanish Republicans, demonstrating that they

    were still the elected government of Spain, and Franco was not in charge

    Picassos initial concept for the mural was The Artist and His Model

    Following the Attack on Guernica, Picasso decided to portray the horror of war,

    and its effect upon civilians

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    Art is not made to decorate rooms. It is an offensive weapon in

    the defence against the enemy- Picasso

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    Artistic Influences

    The Chromatic Austerity of the picture is related to the harshness and brutality

    of the bombing of Guernica, and helps convey this to the viewer

    Cubism was the most radical form of artistic expression at the time, which gave it a

    modern, contemporary feel

    Goyas series Disasters of Waris reflected in several of the figures in the painting

    Figure 3 Figure 4

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    Guernica

    The Mother and Child are very compact, and reference propaganda

    posters of the time.

    The mirroring of the falling woman by the mother and child

    references images of the crucifixion, providing religious overtones.

    The image is a depiction of Picassos own feelings about the attack

    on Guernica, rather than an attempt to document the actual event.

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    Symbolism in Guernica

    The Bull and the Horse are a recurring theme in Picassos work

    Unlike other works where they are depicted locked in combat, in

    Guernica they are brought together by events

    The horses head is thrown back in a scream, showing both its pain

    and defiance

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    Symbolism in Guernica

    The horses head frames the spear that has pierced its side; spears are weapons of

    war, rather than part of bullfighting.

    The bull stands over the mother and child in a protective stance, while it stares out

    of the painting with human-like eyes.

    The bull is not an exclusively Spanish symbol, rather it represents the

    Mediterranean region as a whole.

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    Impact ofGuernica

    At the time, Guernica was mostly ignored by the world press, due to the late

    opening of the Spanish Pavilion

    Now widely seen as one of the strongest anti-war images

    Most famous depiction of the effects of war

    In 1955, Nelson Rockefeller commissioned a tapestry copy ofGuernica, which is

    hung in front of the door to the United Nations Security Council

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    A picture is not thought of and settled beforehand. While it is being done it

    changes as ones thoughts change. And when it is finished it still goes on

    changing, according to the state of mind of whoever is looking at it. A picture

    lives a life like a living creature, undergoing the changes imposed on us by our

    life, from day to day. This is natural enough, as the picture lives only through

    the man who is looking at it. Picasso

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    List of Illustrations

    Figure 1. Picasso, P (1937) Guernica [Oil on canvas] At:http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/Images/110images/sl24_images/guernica_details/guernica_

    all.jpg (Accessed on 01/03/2011)

    Figure 2. Guernica [Photograph] At: https://reader009.{domain}/reader009/html5/0522/5b0422d6aa680/5b0422ddb(Accessed on 01/03/2011)

    Figure 3. Picasso, P (1937) Guernica [Oil on canvas] At:http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/Images/110images/sl24_images/guernica_details/guernica_

    all.jpg (Accessed on 01/03/2011)

    Figure 4. Goya, F (1810)Bitter Presence [Etching] At:

    http://www.everypainterpaintshimself.com/article/goyas_disasters_of_war/ (Accessed on 02/03/2011)

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    Bibliography

    Chipp, H. B. (1989) Picassos Guernica: History, Transformations, Meanings London: Thames and Hudson

    Ltd

    Seitz, C. W. (1983) Abstract expressionist painting in America. (1st ed.) Washington: Harvard University

    Press

    Shavinina, V. L. (2003) The international handbook on innovation. (1st ed.) Oxford: Elsevier Science Ltd.

    Southworth, R. H. (1977) Guernica! Guernica! : A Study of journalism, diplomacy, propaganda, and history

    (1st ed.) USA: University of California Press

    Tonge, Stephen (2011) The Spanish Civil War[Online] At:

    http://www.historyhome.co.uk/europe/spaincw.htm (Accessed on 28/02/2011)

    The Times Special Correspondent (1937) Bombing of Guernica In: The Times [Online archive] At:

    http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol/viewArticle.arc?articleId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1937-05-06-15-

    001&pageId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1937-05-06-15 (Accessed on 28/02/2011)

    Vidal, C (1997) La Destruccon de Guernica [Translated by Miller, P] [Online] At:

    http://www.buber.net/Basque/History/guernica-ix.html (Accessed on 01/03/2011)