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WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM PICASSO’S GUERNICA  
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Hannah Gemeny
February 6, 2026
MutualArt
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_ Picasso’s monumental anti-war mural uses cubism and historical
tragedy to empower the public against totalitarianism and creative
oppression _

Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937. Oil on Canvas , Photo Courtesy of
Wikimedia Commons.

 

Pablo Picasso
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lived a rich life spanning the late 19th century to the end of his
life in the 1970s. Through this time, countless historical events took
place, applying mountains of pressure on the very fabric of society.
Artists like Picasso
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influenced by this never-ending storm of chaos, enduring both world
wars, and the ever-evolving technology that permeated our world. It is
no wonder why Picasso's _Guernica _remains one of the most chilling
and influential anti-war paintings in history.

The oil painting stands over eleven feet tall and is over twenty-five
feet long (roughly 3.49 meters by 7.76 meters). Unlike some of
Picasso’s other well-known paintings, it is monochromatic, relying
on varying grey, black, and white values. The painting’s composition
is quintessential cubism, relying on geometric shapes and
abstractions. While most of the canvas is filled with distorted
figures there are several identifiable symbols: a sun, a lightbulb, a
bull, and a horse. _Guernica_ has been reproduced over the years,
including a mural in the town of Guernica itself. The tiled wall adds
much more texture to the piece than the original painted canvas. This
is made apparent by the gridded lines running through the composition;
the painting becomes a puzzle of assorted pieces, organizing the chaos
into comprehensive segments.

 

[A reproduction of Guernica in the form of a mural, installed for the
60th anniversary of the bombing in 1997. ]

A reproduction of _Guernica _in the form of a mural, installed for
the 60th anniversary of the bombing in 1997. Photo Courtesy of
Wikimedia Commons

It is impossible not to speak of _Guernica _by just grazing the
surface. The painting is rich with historical context. _Guernica _is
the Spanish spelling of the town Guernika, a town in the province of
Biscay. The community is extremely small, a slice of a principality
within the Basque country (a somewhat autonomous region of Northern
Spain). Guernica fell victim to a massive bombing as a result of a
civil war in 1937. Air forces decimated the land, commanded by
Nationalist and dictator Francisco Franco.

Pablo Picasso was in Paris when he discovered what had happened to
this small town. As a man born in Spain, one can only imagine what he
must have felt upon reading the news. Interestingly, this added
distance had an influence on the work. One could argue that this would
be a detriment; he wasn’t there when it happened, how could Picasso
encapsulate the raw emotion and carnage? The painting answers that and
more. The monochrome colors become not just a tone of horror and
distraught, but also present the image as a historic news piece. Like
a war photographer, he goes beyond reporting and deep into the dread
and despair of the moment.

When asked what an artist is, Picasso famously responded:

“He is a political being, constantly aware of the heart breaking,
passionate, or delightful things that happen in the world, shaping
himself completely in their image. Painting is not done to decorate
apartments. It is an instrument of war.”

[Pablo Picasso in 1962, several decades after creating Guernica. ]

Pablo Picasso in 1962, several decades after
creating _Guernica. _Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

_Guernica _tells a story of spaces dismantled by chaos. Disembodied
limbs are strewn across the canvas: hands, feet, arms, and even heads.
One hand in particular clutches a broken blade and what appears to be
a flower; the two clutched together may symbolize the capacity for
peace and war in the hands of Man. This theme extends to the bull and
horse, again implying that humans are certainly more animalistic than
we may like to believe. The lightbulb in the sun is interesting too,
as the sun could also be an eye, or perhaps a rift in the sky. Either
way, there is something to be said of who watches the destruction.
Perhaps it is the eye of the pilot, who dropped the bombs onto the
town below. It could also be the eye of a divine creator, casting
judgement on the chaos. These symbols provide plenty to reflect on,
and Picasso seemed comfortable with this ambiguity.

In _Picasso’s Guernica, _a critical study edited by Ellen C. Opper,
Picasso is quoted saying: “It isn’t up to the painter to define
the symbols. The public who looks at the picture must interpret the
symbols as they understand them.”

When art is framed in a political setting, could this prove to be
problematic? There are plenty of arguments for what the function of
art should be. After all, whole political regimes have commissioned
entire departments and government bodies to do just that. If abstract
art is left up to interpretation, what can be said about the quality
of the message that comes from it? Does it diminish its clarity?

In this case, Picasso’s _Guernica _balances abstraction and
emotional intelligence and sentiment in the most effective way
possible. The recognition is absolutely deserved, primarily because of
its honesty. The entire movement of abstract art is inherently
expressive and individualistic – emotive characteristics exactly
opposite of what an oppressive regime expects from a nation. The
world’s most deplorable historical figures, including Hitler, again
and again attempted to discredit the validity of such art movements.
Art movements such as Cubism, Dada, and most under the category of
Modern Art were demonized, penalized, and removed from the eyes of the
public. This “Degenerate Art” stood opposite to values of
tradition, heroism, and domesticity, all characteristics these regimes
sought after in art. Picasso was not only recollecting a horrific
event in time, but also used this massive mural as a platform to
support modern expressionism and an art movement dedicated to freedom
and creative thought.

The power of _Guernica _does not come from initial glances. It takes
time to sit with, and a moment of independent reflection to fully
grasp. In this fast-paced world, it is easy to look at things too
quickly. Generalizations are made, headlines are quick and catchy, but
it is very rare that a person gets to sit and reflect on a story for
more than a few minutes or so. Picasso’s work demands introspection,
and through such asks, the audience grows better for it. This
doesn’t just increase the value of Picasso’s work, but also
strives to empower the public with personal knowledge, media literacy,
and an attention to detail. All of these things make _Guernica _and
pieces like it a shield against totalitarianism and nonindependent
thought.

 

Audience viewing _Guernica _at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina
Sofía in Madrid, Spain. The museum is known for its collection of
Pablo Picasso’s works and other 20th-century Spanish Art. Photo by
Pedro Belleza, found on Wikimedia Commons

The world is becoming more and more volatile as the years go on. Thus,
it is extremely important to allow history to better prepare us for
our future. It is easy to stomach what is nice to look at, or what is
comfortable, but that complacency can prove dangerous. _Guernica _is
just as much a reminder of past horrors, as it is a warning to never
let something like this happen again.

* anti-war
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* Pablo Picasso
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* Guernica
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* Anti-Fascism (4119
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