Essay - Critique of Picasso Painting Critique of Pablo Picasso's 'Guernica' Dimensions:...

Critique of Picasso Painting

Critique of Pablo Picasso's "Guernica"

*****: 3.5 metre (11 ft) tall and 7.8 metre (23 ft) wide

*****: Oil on canvas

***** exhibited in July 1937 at the Spanish Pavilion at ***** Paris International Exposition

*****. Introduction

***** pa*****ting by Picasso is described as "... modern art's most powerful antiwar statement... "(Guernica: Testimony of War). My interest in th***** painting is in the first *****stance to discover why it is so revered and widely d*****cussed and what makes it important in terms ***** the development of modern art. In terms ***** ***** appreciation of the ***** ***** a work ***** *****, the p*****inting is particularly intriguing in the way that Picasso uses monochromic colors to depict th***** event.

From another related point of view, what is fascinating about Guernica ***** the subject matter and the significance of the painting on a social as well as aes*****tic level. The way ***** Picasso brings to life ***** expresses the suffering and the horror of war, through the use ***** muted t*****es and in the composition of his figurative and more abstract elements in ***** painting, is profoundly moving. I also feel that the painting is not only ***** a particular historical event but is a moving and inc*****ive comment on all wars and acts of aggression in human history.

*****. Historical Context

***** subject matter of this ***** refers to an actual historical event ***** took place. In April of 1937, the Basque town of Guernica was al***** completely destroyed by German bombing planes, acting on beh*****f of General Franco (Larrea 11). As ********** commentator notes ***** ***** actual events that the painting **********, "Townspeople are cut down as *****y run from the crumbling buildings. Guernica burns for three days. Sixteen hundred civilians ***** killed or wounded" (*****: Testimony of War).

During this time, the republican f*****ces in Spa***** who were loyal to the government that had been recently elected were being attacked by the fascist supporters ***** Generalissimo Francisco ***** (Guernica: Testimony of War). The attack was therefore motivated ***** Franco as an act of aggression against the *****s. ***** extent of the massacre and destruction of innocent people in ***** small Basque town pr*****oundly shocked Picasso and he began to paint t***** large mural as a response ***** *****he horror of this event and as a sign of his protest. He h*****d in fact been approached by the representatives ***** the democratic government of the county to enlist his fame as an artist in the depiction of ***** crime. (Larrea 11) While ***** ***** not ********** interested in political art, the gravity of the situation affected him deeply ***** he began work on ***** two ***** a*****er the actual event. (Larrea 11)

3. Influences and Motivations

The *****fluences ***** ***** Picasso are wide-ranging and impossible to categorize ***** define in a few lines. These influences range ***** ***** *****s of the classical masters, to the impressionists and the surrealists. Picasso is ***** known to have varied