KHYLE DAVE MACABENTA SARMIENTO 1BSED SOCIAL-STUDIES

ART APPRECIATION GEH 122

INSTRUCTOR:SIR.REY JOHN AREDIDON

Guernica by Pablo Picasso

Picasso's 1937 painting Guernica is a horrifying critique of the savagery of war. The
chaos and anguish of a devastated town are depicted on a grayscale painting. Picasso
conveys the fear and suffering imposed on defenseless bystanders through the use of
Cubist fragmentation and warped forms. Guernica is a timeless cry for peace that
transcends its historical setting. The terrifying aftermath of a Nazi bombing strike on a
Basque community is shown in Guernica. Picasso highlights the destruction with a
striking black, white, and gray palette. He depicts a dead kid, a dismembered soldier,
and the sorrow of women using cubism fragmentation and twisted figures. This horrific
scenario goes beyond realism to become a striking representation of the brutality of
war. Guernica amplifies its message by employing a narrow range of elements jagged
and sharp.
The figures' varied attitudes and expressions show the variety of ways that people perceive
the horrors of war. Nonetheless, a common grayscale color scheme and the common agony
expressions forge a bond, highlighting the town's communal suffering. Guernica becomes
an eternal emblem of the devastation caused by war through the interaction of design
concepts, going beyond a simple portrayal of an event. Guernica is more than just a
realistic depiction; it's a potent statement against war. The bull and broken figures stand
for the anarchy and cruelty of battle. The mother holding her dead child suggests the tragic
loss of humanity, while the wailing horse represents the dread of innocent victims. Any
sense of hope is eliminated by the striking black, white, and gray color scheme, which
highlights how hopeless war is.