Comparative Study Nina

Comparative study

How can art be used to respond to a given socio-historical context? Through an examination of “The Third of May 1808” by Francisco de Goya, “The Raft of the Medusa” by Théodore Géricault, and at last, “Guernica” by Pablo Picasso, this research will evaluate the role of art in denouncing human cruelty and greed by through an analysis of colour, value, composition, and brushwork. By examining the techniques used by each artist to depict violence, trauma, and the struggle for survival, I hope to gain insight into how these themes were conveyed and why these paintings continue to have such a profound impact on viewers today. Furthermore, I plan to explore the ways in which these works of art have influenced the art world and society as a whole, and what they reveal about the complex relationship between history, politics, and art.

Fig. 1: "The third of May 1808"/ Francisco de Goya / 1814 / Oil painting on canvas 2.68m x 3.47m/ Museum del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Fig 2: "The Raft of the Medusa" / Théodore Géricault / 1819 / Oil painting on wood 4.91m x 7.16m / Louvre Museum, Paris, France

Fig. 3: "Guernica "/ Pablo Picasso / 1937 / Oil painting on canvas 3.49m x 7.77m / Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid, Spain

The third of may 1808 by francisco de goya

CULTURAL Significance

AUDIENCE

AUDIENCE'S WORLD

ARTIST

"The Third of May 1808" was made for the Spanish government as a result of the brutal suppression of the Spanish people by the French army during the Peninsula War. The painting's intended audience was both the Spanish people and the French rulers, including Napoleon Bonaparte. Indeed, it is a social commentary on the atrocities of war, and a call to arms for the Spanish people, inspiring them to resist foreign occupation and fight for their country's independence. The depiction of the brutal execution of innocent civilians was meant to evoke a strong emotional response from the Spanish people, urging them to take action against the French invaders. "The Third of May 1808" is now regarded as one of Goya's most important works, and it is considered a masterpiece of Spanish art. The painting is currently on display in the Museum del Prado in Madrid, Spain, where it continues to inspire visitors with its powerful message of peace.

In 1808, the French Emperor Napoleon betrayed his alliance with Spain by sending troops to invade the north of Spain. After the abdication of Charles Iv, and later on his son Ferdinand VII, Napoleon placed his brother on the Spanish throne. This was a significant turning point in Spanish history, leading to a brutal conflict known as the Peninsular War. This invasion was met with resistance from the Spanish people, who saw it as a violation of their sovereignty. Their first attempt at resisting the French occupation was the Iberican Revolt. This brutal conflict was marked by numerous battles and guerrilla warfare, and was fought over several years between the French and a coalition of Spanish, British, and Portuguese forces. Although the conflict was a significant victory for the Spanish people and ended the French occupation of the country, the war had tremendous consequences with both sides suffering heavy losses³.

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes was a Spanish painter and printmaker born on March 30, 1746. He executed frescoes in the Zaragoza cathedral in the Baroque-Rococo style and painted a series of more than 60 tapestry cartoons for the Royal Tapestry Factory of Santa Bárbara. Although Goya's early works and portraitsof members of the aristocracy were influenced by the decorative style of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, his later cartoons digressed from the conventional 18th-century style and portrayed a style of his own, influenced by Diego Velázquez. He was elected to the Royal Academy in Madrid in 1780 and later appointed painter to Charles III. By 1799, Goya was one the most successful artists in Spain and was under the patronage of Charles IV.¹

Fig. 4: Vincente LOPEZ PORTANA, Francisco Goya, Madrid, Museum del Prado © Museo Nacional del Prado, Dist. RMN-GP / image del Prado

ARTIST'S WORLD

Francisco de Goya lived during the Age of Enlightenment and Neoclassicism, a period characterized by reason, logic, and a revival of classical art and architecture. However, his work also reflected elements of Romanticism². He was influenced by artists such as Velázquez, Rembrandt, and Tiepolo, and went on to influence many artists in the Romantic movement. His use of dark themes, expressive brushstrokes, and social commentary paved the way for artists such as Delacroix, Manet, Pradilla Ortiz, Fortuny, Daumier, and Hogarth. Similarly, Picasso was deeply influenced by Goya's political engagement and the way in which he used his art to critique the social and political issues of his time, as seen in Picasso's work "Guernica". Likewise, the Surrealist movement and painters like Salvador Dali were inspired by Goya's darker and dreamlike works, which explored the depths of the human experience and the irrational side of the human psyche.

Fig. 5: "The third of May 1808"/ Francisco de Goya / 1814 / Oil painting on canvas 2.68m x 3.47m/ Museo del Prado

SOURCES:

¹Harris-Frankfort, Enriqueta. “Francisco Goya | Biography & Facts.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 10 Feb. 2019, Accessed 10 May 2023. ²"Francisco Goya.” The Art Story, 2017, www.theartstory.org/artist/goya-francisco/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2023. ³The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Peninsular War | European History.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 28 Apr. 2018, www.britannica.com/event/Peninsular-War. Accessed 11 May 2023.

FORMAL QUALITIES

The third of may 1808 by francisco de goya

COMPOSITION

COLORS

In this painting, Goya uses a combination of explicit (in blue) and implicit (in yellow) lines to communicate the power dynamics during the Peninsular War. The straight, explicit lines convey structure and provide the foundation to easily recognize the main events of the painting: the violence depicted by the riffles and the power illustrated by the soldiers' formation all communicate the soldiers' authority over the captives. Additionally, Goya uses implicit lines to create a sense of dynamism to direct the audience's eye in accordance with the painting's narrative. These lines suggest movement and

To begin with, Goya's expressive brushwork features the hill with light tones such as beige, cream, and light grey. This earthly and neutral colour palette creates a sense of unity (representing the Spanish resistance's unity) which is disrupted by the cooler tones of white and grey of the French soldiers' uniforms, representing oppression. Similarly, the sky is depicted with saturated colours of black and dark blue, representing darkness and the invader facing the distress of the resistance fighters, in this contrast of shadow and light. Furthermore, the immaculate white color of the condemned man's shirt (fig. 6) tragically contrasts with the blood’s color (fig. 7). This contributes to the dramatic intensity of the scene, and makes the condemned man the focal point of the scene as the contrast of colors attracts the attention of the spectator. This is reinforced by the central figures' yellow, white, and olive-green clothing, about to die. By doing so, Goya underlines through the contrast of colors the tragic aspect of this scene and elicits feelings of empathy towards the Spanish civilians.

Fig 6: Cropped photo (original: Museum del Prado

chaos as seen through the raising of arms, falling of dead corpses, and kneeling, hence enhancing the sense of urgency and drama conveyed by the painting. To this effect, they disclose the civilians' emotional distress derived from the

Fig 7: Cropped photo (original: Museum del Prado)

atrocious killing taking place. Moreover, the artist uses an interplay of curved (in red) and straight (in green) lines to evoke empathy from the viewer. The curved lines denote the human and emotional response to the

Fig 9: Edited photo (original: Museum del Prado)

brutality of the event: the civilians' contorted backs exhibit despair and anguish and highlight the tragic aspect of the scene. Meanwhile, the soldiers' rigid backs disclose the sense of control and inhumanity associated with them. Thus, Goya uses lines as a means to create a composition that dramatically challenges the viewer on multiple levels of emotional complexity: the audience is invited to engage with the captives' hopelessness and vulnerability⁴.

Fig 8: Edited photo (original: Museum del Prado)

BRUSHWORK

The artist used oil paint, which underlines of the quality of the brushstrokes. The limited effort put in perfecting his brushwork depicts the passage of time and the sense of urgency of the situation. Furthemore, this reinforces the intensity of scene. For instance, the brushwork on the man's shirt indicates that he is still in motion (fig. 12). Thus, Goya places emphasis on the viewer's relationship with the character, leading the former to feel empathy towards the Spanish civilians. This adds to the tension and dangerous mood of the painting. Moreover, according to Alissia du Plessis, "we see this utilization of looser, more expressive, brushstrokes in the entire composition [...] giving it a richer quality⁶" .

Fig 11: Cropped photo (original: Museum del Prado)

VALUE

Goya employs the chiaroscuro technique to heighten the scene's realism and create a dramatic effect. The strong light provided by the light box illuminates the central figure and makes it the focal point of the painting. Moreover, this accentuates the character's facial expression and vulnerability, intensifying the artwork's emotional impact on the audience. On the other hand, the soldiers and the background are depicted with mid-tone and dark tones (fig. 10). This combination of light and dark creates a sense of three-dimensionality which is also reflected in the spatial relationship between the figures⁵. Indeed, the shadow by the soldiers' feet highly contrasted by the light casted on the central figures and dead corpses further underlines the division between the disparity between the Spanish civilians' hopelessness and the French soldiers' inhumanity.

Fig 12: Cropped photo (original: Museum del Prado)

Fig 10: Cropped photo (original: Museum del Prado)

SOURCES:

⁴“Art Historical Analysis (Painting), a Basic Introduction Using Goya’s Third of May, 1808.” YouTube, YouTube Video, 25 July 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QM-DfhrNv8. Accessed 14 May 2023.⁵Artincontext. “‘The Third of May 1808’ Francisco Goya - Analyzing Goya’s ‘Third of May.’” Artincontext.org, 26 Jan. 2022, artincontext.org/the-third-of-may-1808-francisco-goya/. Accessed 16 May 2023. ⁶Ibid.

The third of may 1808 by francisco de goya

FUNCTION, PURPOSE & SIGNIFICANCE

Fig 14: Cropped photo (original: Museo del Prado)

Fig 13: Cropped photo (original: Museo del Prado)

FUNCTION AND PURPOSE

MATERIAL SIGNIFICANCE

Commemorative Function

The painting is an oil on canvas. This technique, used by artists since the seventh century A.D., consists of painting pigments with oil as a binder, creating a rich variety of texture when layering, blending, and glazing. This medium was very popular in Europe at the time, especially during and following the European Renaissance, as it is durable and has a luminous quality which gives it a more realistic finish⁸. Furthermore, there is a symbolic significance to this medium, as it was often associated with noble and high-status artworks like those found in churches and royal courts. As such, making “The Third of May 1808” an oil on canvas elevates Goya’s painting and reinforces the importance as a political commentary for the struggle for independence and preservation of Spanish national identity.

"The Third of May 1808" serves both as a commemorative artwork and a social and political commentary. The formal qualities and symbolism used in this painting to depict the brutal shooting of the innocent Spanish population convey Goya's political stance on the matter. Indeed, the characters' clenched fists (fig. 13 & 14) alongside the fear expressed by those cupping their faces (fig. 15) reinforce Goya's political statement against the French oppression: the victims, powerless, are elevated to the rank of martyrs for Spain. This vulnerability and innocence is reinforced by the position of the central figure, whose arms are raised up in a motion that evokes Christ's crucifixion (fig. 16). His hand is marked by the stigmata (fig. 17), which associates his pain to a higher moral cause. By depicting the resilience and sacrifice of the Spanish people during the Peninsular War, the painting was created with the aim of commemorating the Spanish resistance.

Fig 15: Cropped photo (original: Museo del Prado)

Fig 16: Cropped photo (original: Museo del Prado)

Fig 17: Cropped photo (original: Museo del Prado)

CONCEPTUAL SIGNIFICANCE

Political and Social Commentary

“The Third of May 1808” is part of the Romanticism art movement. By associating his work to a movement which places emphasis on human emotions, Goya amplifies the moral urgency of the situation depicted. Artistic innovation is used at the profit of social critique, with a reflection on the ethics of warfare and the responsibility to protect human life, drawn from a violent depiction of the consequences of violence to bring about themes of sacrifice and suffering.

On the other hand, the soldiers are condemned for the brutality of their behavior. “The French soldiers, by contrast, become mechanical or insect-like”. The fact that their faces are hidden and their wearing of uniforms (fig. 18) dehumanize them and reflects their loss of individuality: “The anonymity of the French firing squad contrasts with the individualized faces of the victims, and drives home the message of brutal oppression⁷” (fig. 19).

Fig 18: Cropped photo (original: Museo del Prado)

Fig 19: Cropped photo (original: Museo del Prado)

SOURCES:

⁷Zappella, Christine. “Francisco Goya, the Third of May, 1808 – Smarthistory.” Smarthistory.org, 9 Aug. 2015, smarthistory.org/goya-third-of-may-1808/. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023. ⁸The Marshall Gallery. “The History of Oil on Canvas Art | the Marshall Gallery.” Themarshallgallery.com, themarshallgallery.com/post/6367-the-history-of-oil-on-canvas-art. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023. ⁹The Art Story. “Romanticism Movement Overview.” The Art Story, The Art Story Foundation, 2017, www.theartstory.org/movement/romanticism/.

the raft of the medusa by théodore gericault

Cultural significance

AUDIENCE

ARTIST

Jean-Louis-André-Théodore Géricault was a French painter and lithographer born on January 26, 1824. He studied painting with Carle Vernet before attending the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His first painting was accepted into the Salon de Paris exhibition marking the beginning of his professional career. In 1812, he went on to receive a government commission to paint a portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte. Although his career was relatively short (he died at the age of 32 from injuries sustained in a horse-riding accident), his works continue to influence artists and are celebrated for their technical skills and emotional intensity.

As an uncommissioned painting, “Raft of the Medusa” was created to denounce the political corruption of the French government. The events of the Medusa had faced widespread attention and political controversy, which the artist hoped to take advantage of to establish his reputation as a painter. As a result, the painting deliberately challenges the political and aesthetic conventions at the time, so as to create controversy and encourage debates on the matter. The painting, intended for both the government and the general public, hence received a mixed reception, as it was considered “a masterpiece of Romanticism and a powerful commentary on the failings of the French government and society¹¹” yet criticized for some of the liberal ideas it put forward.

Fig. 20: Théodore Géricault by Horace Vernet, 1822

Fig 21: "The Raft of the Medusa" / Théodore Géricault / 1819 / Oil painting on wood 4.91m x 7.16m / Louvre Museum, Paris

ARTIST'S WORLD

AUDIENCE'S WORLD

Guéricault was heavily drawn to the Baroque art movement, as seen by the stark contrast of light and shadow to represent movement and tension in his paintings. Indeed, he was especially influenced by artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Antoine-Jean Gros, and Michelangelo. In the case of "The Raft of the Medusa", Géricault was also inspired by the sober colors and shallow space of neoclassicism. Additionally, most of his lithographs were centred around military subjects, whilst many of his paintings depicted horses, such as "The Charging Chasseur" and "The Race of the Riderless Horse" (although the latter was never completed). On a similar note, according to Britannica, he "exerted a seminal influence on the development of Romantic art in France¹⁰". His provocative paintings influenced the French artist Eugène Delacroix, who had modeled for "The Raft of the medusa" between 1818 and 1819, and others such as Édouard Manet, Joseph William Turner, and Gustave Courbet.

Once the monarchy was restored in France, the new king, Louis XVIII, offered political favors which placed unqualified men in positions of power, as was the case with the captain of the Medusa, a French ship headed towards Africa to reclaim Senegal as a colony from the British in 1816. There were around 400 people on board. However, the boat hit a sandbar and since all the passengers could not fit on the lifeboats, the captain decided that only the upper and middle classes would be allowed on lifeboats whilst settlers and soldiers would stay on a makeshift raft built from leftover pieces of wood from the ship. Although the raft was initially towed by the lifeboats with a rope, the latter was cut, it was then abandoned in the ocean and the rope linking the settlers to the lifeboats cut, abandoning 147 men to drift away at sea. Only 15 of these men would survive.¹²

SOURCES:

¹⁰“Theodore Gericault | Biography, Paintings, & Facts.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Theodore-Gericault. Accessed 19 Apr. 2023. ¹¹Singh, Aniket. “The Raft of the Medusa: A Masterpiece of Human Resilience.” GlobalGrowthForum, 8 May 2023, globalgrowthforum.com/the-raft-of-the-medusa-a-masterpiece-of-human-resilience-and-romanticism/. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023. ¹²Great Art Explained. “Great Art Explained: Picasso’s Guernica.” YouTube, 16 June 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJLH7JAsBHA. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

the raft of the medusa by théodore gericault

FORMAL QUALITIES

COLORS

Fig 25: Cropped photo (original: Louvre Museum)

COMPOSITION

Fig 22: Cropped photo (original: Louvre Museum)

Géricault's use of muted tones represents humanity fading away on the raft. The use of earthy colors revolving around ochres and browns can be seen as a means to portray desolation and the tragic, dreadful circumstances on the ship. Similarly, the use of gray and the somber hues used reflect the themes of death and mourning on the ship, and the dull blue of the sea highlights the feeling of hopelessness that prevails over most of the characters, due to an environment that seems to be against their survival. In this sense, the colors’ dullness represents the tragic nature of the scene as life seems impossible to sustain on the raft. Nevertheless, as opposed to these dull colors, Géricault symbolically incorporates a few vibrant tones of red (fig. 22, 23, & 24) which form the focal points of the painting, heightening the emotional impact of the artwork. In fact, the symbolism of red creates a sense of urgency that derives from the figures’ inability to survive on their own, thus foreshadowing death.

The artist invites the viewer to directly engage with the figure's intense emotional experience: the foreshortening of the boat's lowest corner creates a sense of movement which gives the illusion that the viewer can step into the painting, thus making him/her engage with the message conveyed. This is highlighted by the implicit diagonal lines created by the pyramidal composition of the stacked bodies, which seem to move together in a single motion¹³. Indeed, the stack of dead bodies form the base of the third pyramid (in blue), where the survivors try to call for the Argus¹⁴, a boat passing by (pink circle). This invites the viewer's gaze towards the top of the painting, moving from a feeling of complete despair to the hope for survival. With this said, Géricault takes the viewer on an emotional journey. Moreover, the composition is also organized according to the rule of thirds thirds (yellow grid), where the division of the artwork into nine equal sections allows for the key emotional moments of the scene to be placed at the intersection of the lines forming the grid (yellow dots). This once again reinforces balance and movement from despair to hope, placing the viewer at the heart of the survivor’s experience.

Fig 27: Edited Photo (Original: Louvre Museum)

Fig 26: Edited Photo (Original: Louvre Museum)

Fig 24: Cropped photo (original: Louvre Museum)

Fig 23: Cropped photo (original: Louvre Museum)

¹⁴

VALUE

Fig 30: Cropped photo (original: Louvre Museum)

In this painting, Géricault uses the chiaroscuro technique to convey the intensity and turmoil of the scene¹⁵. The contrast created by the dramatic combination of light and shadow creates a sense of movement that guides the viewer's gaze to certain areas of the figures, and draws attention to their skin. The detailed outline of their muscles can be linked to the appraisal of the body in neo-classical art, except its effect is deliberately shocking in that it is here meant to underline physical exhaustion. By doing so, the artist emphasizes the challenges faced by the survivors, thus eliciting compassion from the viewer towards them. Moreover, Géricault uses atmospheric perspective to insist on the scene’s realism by creating areas of lighter value on the foreground to create depth. This ultimately results in a depiction of the environment as a threat in the background, as this area is rendered with darker values, producing a gloomy, dangerous mood to the painting.

BRUSHWORK

Géricault’s brushwork is characteristic of both Neo-Classicism and Romanticism, in that the aim is to provide as much detail as possible to convey human emotion in the most realistic way possible. This is especially true around areas where a particular attention to detail is necessary for the scene's realism, namely the raft, bodies, and corpses. Indeed, it is a controlled brushwork that is used to draw facial expressions and the decomposition of the human body. On the other hand, the waves and sky are characterized with a much more fluid brushstroke that creates movement. This change of texture hence results in a dynamic scene that reproduces the experience of this abandonment on sea.

Fig 28: Cropped photo (original: Louvre Museum)

Fig 29: Cropped photo (original: Louvre Museum)

SOURCES:

¹³Smarthistory. “Gericault, Raft of the Medusa.” YouTube, YouTube Video, 4 May 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlVBaqyGKMs. Accessed 23 June 2023. ¹⁴Rise Art. “L’Œuvre à La Loupe : Le Radeau de La Méduse de Géricault.” Rise Art, www.riseart.com/fr/article/2701/l-oeuvre-a-la-loupe-le-radeau-de-la-meduse-de-gericault. ¹⁵Velimirović, Andreja. “Why the Raft of the Medusa Is One of the Most Inspirational Works of Art | Widewalls.” Www.widewalls.ch, 12 Feb. 2017, www.widewalls.ch/magazine/the-raft-of-the-medusa. Accessed 23 June 2023

the raft of the medusa by théodore gericault

FUNCTION, PURPOSE & SIGNIFICANCE

Fig 31: Cropped photo (original: Louvre Museum)

MATERIAL SIGNIFICANCE

FUNCTION & PURPOSE

He interviewed survivors, went to the morgues to observe dead bodies and brought back purifying flesh to his studio to achieve the most realistic results possible. Indeed, according to Great Art Explained, "he took a severed head from the lunatic asylum and kept in on the roof of his studio for two weeks, so that he could draw its features as it decomposed¹⁶". Additionally, Géricault interviewed survivors of the ship which were then featured in the painting. According to Great Art Explained, "his painting would contain the gestures and grand scale of traditional history painting. However, it would present the common man struggling with contemporary disaster¹⁷". Many of these discrepancies were done intentionally for dramatic effect and compositional balance. For instance, he painted twenty figures rather than the accurate number of fifteen. It is also worth noting that the painting’s somber mood is partly a result of material alterations over time, as the material used to prime and seal the surface of the painting, bitumen of Judea, is known for darkening over time and thus alternating the original colors and value of the work. In fact, the painting was more vivid and detailed when first exhibited.

Social and Political Commentary

This is an anti-heroic painting. Unlike neo-classical and traditional historical paintings where human sacrifice was represented for a noble cause, Géricault's work portrays the lack of purpose for which life was taken away on the Raft of the Medusa: the settlers are not dying to save their country but as a result of abandonment. To this effect, Géricault created this artwork in a deliberately provocative manner for it to serve a political function. In fact, the captain in the "Raft of the Medusa" symbolizes power and greed by virtue of being the representative of France's king at the time, whilst his decision to abandon the lower class in the ocean mirrors the society's values. Thus, this is an anti-monarchic painting, calling to attention the French government's corruption and political negligence. Furthermore, the choice of a black hero to lead the raft in an age of slavery serves as a call to action against moral beliefs at the time. The presence of the dark-skinned man on the top of the pyramid, showcasing a will to subvert stereotypes and directly confront the way in which so many individuals were left behind for the sole reason of being part of a lower class and/or minority¹⁸.

Fig 32: Cropped photo (original: Louvre Museum)

CONCEPTUAL SIGNIFICANCE

There were several key moments regarding the raft of the Medusa that Géricault could have chosen to paint: the moment when the raft was abandoned at sea, the moment when the passengers of the raft started resorting to cannibalism, or the moment when they were rescued, to name a few. Nevertheless, Géricault chose a much more specific moment in time to represent. Indeed, the moment during which the ship Argus passes by without seeing the survivorsIt is when the viewer gets to see the extent of that corruption. Over time however, the artwork’s message has transcended its original aim at denouncing the French higher class’ corruption and lack of empathy to become a timeless message of sensibility and fellowship¹⁹.

Commemorative Function

Fig 34: Cropped photo (original: Louvre Museum)

The social commentary on the injustice and suffering of those left behind is coupled with the artwork’s commemorative function. Through the representation of tragic, inhumane death and repulsive representations of body decomposition, the individuals’ abandonment is mmortalized with an emphasis on their resilience, as seen with the muscular strength represented and the hope for survival on the mast.

Fig 33: Cropped photo (original: Musée du Louvre)

SOURCES:

¹⁶Christiansen, Rupert. The Victorian Visitors. Grove Press, 1 Aug. 2002.¹⁷Great Art Explained. “Great Paintings Explained: The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault.” YouTube, YouTube Video, 16 July 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUq9qMm9NtI. Accessed 26 June 2023.¹⁸Smarthistory. “Gericault, Raft of the Medusa.” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlVBaqyGKMs&t=377s. Accessed 4 June 2023. ¹⁹Black McCoy, Dr. Claire. “Théodore Géricault, Raft of the Medusa.” Smarthistory.org, 27 May 2021, smarthistory.org/theodore-gericault-raft-of-the-medusa/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2023.

CULTURAL significance

GUERNICA BY PABLO PICASSO

AUDIENCE'S WORLD

On April 26, 1937, German airplanes attacked the Spanish village of Guernica so as to test new military techniques and weapons in the event of second world war, under the command of General Franco, leader of the Nationalist Party in Spain, and its Nazi and Fascist Italian allies. The attack was timed on a market day to maximize casualties and lasted for more than three hours, killing a third of the village’s population. The attack took place during the conflict opposing the Natinoalists and the Republicans in Spain, known as the Spanish Civil War.

ARTIST

Born on October 25, 1881 in Malaga, Spain, Pablo Picasso was a Spanish artist who experimented with numerous mediums, such as painting, ceramic, printmaking, sculpture, and stage design²⁰. His work can be divided within five periods, including the Blue Period, the Rose Period, Cubism, Classicism, and Surrealism. It is said that he produced roughly 150 000 pieces. He is, along with Georges Braque, the founder of Cubism, an art movement characterized by geometric shapes and distorted figures, as is the case with "Guernica".

Fig. 35: Pablo Picasso. © George Stroud/Getty Images

AUDIENCE

Fig. 36: "Guernica "/ Pablo Picasso / 1937 / Oil painting on canvas 3.49m x 7.77m / Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid, Spain

Picasso's "Guernica" was commissioned for the 1937 World Fair in Paris to support Spain's Republican party, and was completed in only three weeks. The artist was known as strongly apolitical in his work and had previously refused to participate in the Republicans’ propaganda during the Spanish Civil War. However, after reading about the horrifying news of the unjustified attack in Guernica in the news, Picasso thought of Paris' World Fair as an opportunity to denounce such atrocities. After the exhibition, the painting travelled arounf the world around the world to raise awareness on the situation in Spain and raise money for the Republicans. After the Nationalist victory, led by General Franco, "Guernica" remained in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City until the end of Franco's regime²².

Fig 37: Cropped photo (original: Museum del Prado)

Fig 38: Cropped photo (original: Canvas)

ARTIST'S WORLD

“Guernica” was inspired by already existing artworks exploring the themes of suffering, as did most of Picasso’s work in the year of 1937. Amongst these inspirations include Francisco de Goya’s “Third of May 1808”, where similar representations of martyrdom and death can be found. Moreover, the painting can be noted for its similar composition to that of Peter Paul Rubens’ “Consequences of War”, with specific iconographic references such as the torch and the woman with outstretched arms, which can also be linked to “The Third of May 1808”’s central figure, or even Michelangelo’s “La Pieta” with the mourning mother. As such, Picasso alludes to famous artworks around the themes of pain and warfare to contribute to “Guernica”’s universal message of peace²¹.

Fig 39: Cropped photo (original: Canvas)

Fig 40: Cropped photo (original: Musem TV)

Fig 41: Cropped photo (original: Canvas)

SOURCES:

²⁰McCully, Marilyn. “Pablo Picasso | Biography, Facts, & Famous Paintings.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 5 Dec. 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Pablo-Picasso. Accessed 19 Apr. 2023. ²¹Musée Picasso Paris. “Dossier pédagogique Guernica.” ²²Great Art Explained. “Great Art Explained: Picasso’s Guernica.” YouTube, 16 June 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJLH7JAsBHA. Accessed 21 Sept. 2023.

FORMAL QUALITIES

GUERNICA BY PABLO PICASSO

COLORS

Fig 43: Edited photo (original: Reina Sofia Museum)

COMPOSITION

Picasso uses a deliberately limited color palette with emphasis on white, gray, and black as a means to share the experience of war. This experience is visually described as bleak and a source for despair, as seen with the combination of a monochromatic scheme and distressed characters, creating a somber mood. Furthermore, the intermittent accents of blue in the black parts contributes to the melancholic tone of mourning and death, bringing about the consequences of war. Overall, the lack of color encourages the reader to focus on the symbolism of the painting, adding on to the timelessness and relevance of the piece²³.

The overlapping figures reflect the sense of chaos of the painting, which serves to denounce the horrors of war. Their deliberately confusing position emphasizes the themes of destruction, violence, death, and mutilation: "There is not a singular clear focal point in this mural, accentuating the feeling of disorientation. ²⁵" There is nevertheless an organized structure in that the figures are categorized into three vertical groups on the basis of a triptych (see green lines). Indeed, each of this grouping can be associated to a different theme or type of suffering–such as the idea of loss and death on the left with the mourning mother and dead soldier and the notion of physical torture with the mutilated woman and the flames. This guides the viewer’s eye according a predetermined narrative order. This visual balance is reinforced by the v v symmetrical placement of the four figures (orange circles) on each side of the painting, creating implicit lines (orange lines) that lead to the soldier’s dead corpse, hence placing the theme of death at the heart of the message conveyed. At the top of the painting, contrasting with this theme, comes the notion of hope with the symbolism of the torch. Indeed, its light is exhibited in the shape of a pyramid (red lines), where death is transcended at the profit of peace.

VALUE

Fig 42: Edited photo (original: Reina Sofia Museum)

The chiaroscuro that derives from the use of contrasting colors reflects the tension at stake. Indeed, the opposing presence of light and shadow emphasizes the sense of conflict and chaos. That is to say, the symbolic dichotomy of black and white can be linked to the challenges of war, namely: life versus death, peace and aggression, and victory versus loss. Nevertheless, the juxtaposition of such values does place emphasis on negative aspects of those dualities, such as suffering. There is thus a will to use “Guernica” as a means to express sentiments of frustration and injustice²⁴.

BRUSHWORK

Fig 44: Cropped photo (original: Reina Sofia Museum)

According to the Museum of Prado’s Conservation-restoration Department, “He [Picasso] began to apply successive paint layers which would quickly alter the composition; there are discernible areas where the paint was applied more lightly and fluidly, in contrast to other thicker passages.²⁷” The uneven surface can hence be understood as a means to take the viewer on a chaotic emotional journey, which is reinforced by the allegorical symbols like the horse for example. The energetic brushwork that can be compared to that of Abstract Expressionism, with an emphasis on emotions such as despair, anguish, and grief. Furthermore, the speed at which “Guernica” was painted resulted in mistakes and splashes of paint which only reinforces a sense of urgency and the importance of the message conveyed.

SOURCES:

²³Ibid. ²⁴Lioulias, Sophie. “Picasso: GUERNICA à La Lumière Du Symbole. Analyse de L’oeuvre.” Trajets Littéraires, 5 Aug. 2014, trajetslitteraires.wordpress.com/2014/08/05/picasso-guernica-a-la-lumiere-du-symbole/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023. ²⁵Nirmalan, Meenakshi. “Guernica: Pablo Picasso and the Spanish Civil War.” Retrospect Journal, 23 Oct. 2022, retrospectjournal.com/2022/10/23/guernica-pablo-picasso-and-the-spanish-civil-war/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024. ²⁶Ercilla, Paula, et al. Guernica Pablo Picasso Technical Studies. Museo Nacional Del Prado Conservation-Restoration Department.

FUNCTION, PURPOSE & SIGNIFICANCE

GUernica by Pablo picasso

MATERIAL SIGNIFICANCE

Fig 45: Cropped photo (original: Reina Sofia Museum)

FUNCTION & PURPOSE

The painting was done on one linen and jute canvas which could be removed from the stretcher to facilitate travel, rather than several canvases sown together. As such, “We can compare Guernica to portable tapestries known in Spain as Sargas²⁷”. With this said, the material significance of the artwork lies in its portability, which reflects the cultural and political context at the time. Additionally, Picasso used layers of reflective lead-white to enhance the depth of the different layers of painting, thus adding to the contrast between light and darkness. The presence of lead-white as a ground layer for the painting thus played an important role in the composition of the work, and the use of gloss on white items further contributes to the contrast between the luminous white and matt black figures. Furthermore, the imposing size of the painting also contributes to this dramatic effect.

Social Commentary Against War

The broken sword demonstrates the weaknesses of violence in resolving conflict through a representation of war as futile. This painting serves to challenge the glorification of war through symbols like the lamp, which can be associated with the advancements in technology for the sake of war. The reference to aerial bombing which it provides creates a sense of darkness and elicits terror.

The motherly figure can be compared to the wailing figure in “La Pieta” by Michaelangelo, where the Virgin Mary mourns her son’s death. As such, the parallels between the two reinforce the universal aspe. aspect of the message conveyed, putting forward the themes of espair and maternal loss, all as a result of war.

Suffering

Fig 46: Cropped photo (original: Reina Sofia Museum)

Political Commentary

Both representative of Spain, the bull and the horse have been associated with different meanings depending on critics. One of them includes seeing the bull as a symbol of stregth and dominance and thus refer to a brutal totalitarian regime. “Picasso himself thought of the bull as representing brutality and darkness. Its gaze is cold and detached. It has come to be seen as representing Fascism or Franco himself.” On the other hand, the horse is seen as representing the Republican party. Wrenched in pain as it is run through with a javelin, the animal can be seen as a symbol for the population’s vulnerability under Franco’s power, thus contributing to the function of propaganda against the Nationalists which “Guernica” holds. By contrasting these two ideologies under the theme of warfare and death, Picasso highlights the absurd nature of greed at the expense of human lives.

CONCEPTUAL SIGNIFICANCE

Picasso used cubism as the art movement for this artwork because the distorted figures reflect the inhuman nature of the Nationalists’ cruelty. The combination of sharp lines and somber mood serves to reinforce the sense of suffering which the civilians are experiencing. To this end, the artist uses an emotive aesthetic rather than a realist approach to denounce war and violence and underscore the dehumanization at the heart of the village’s bombing. Furthermore, “Guernica” is known as one of the most famous anti-war paintings of the 20th-century, and holds value in that its universal message of peace has been continuously relevant since its creation. In fact, since 1985, a tapestry replica after “Guernica” has been displayed in the United Nations Headquarters. The decision to do so highlights the artwork’s role as a symbol of peace and human rights.

Fig 47: Cropped photo (original: Reina Sofia Museum)

Hope

The suffering undergone by the figures in the painting and the somber mood of the painting elicit a feeling of injustice, making “Guernica” a call for compassion and solidarity. The dove, usually a symbol of hope, is distorted. As a result, it emphasizes the feeling of frustration that stems from injustice as its disfigured nature suggests the complexities of maintaining peace within a society. Nevertheless, the presence of the poppy does imply the possibility of renewal and reconciliation. As such, “Guernica” does remain a message of hope and peace through its function of commemoration and remembrance of those who suffered. There is no specific iconographic reference to the village of Guernica, which contributes to the universal aspect of the painting, which serves as an allegorical painting for all wars.

Fig 48: Cropped photo (original: Reina Sofia Museum)

SOURCES:

²⁷Great Art Explained. “Great Art Explained: Picasso’s Guernica.” YouTube, 16 June 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJLH7JAsBHA. Accessed 21 Sept. 2023.

Comparison and connnection - significance, Function and Purpose

Allegory to Christianity Christ's crucification to elevate the Spanish victims to the rank of martyrs for Spain

Encourage Spanish resistance against foreign intervention

Denunciation of war

Both works were uncommissioned and created because of the events' importance to the artists

Symbol of the stigmata as a form of sacrifice, reinforcing the idea of martyrization and vulnerability

Both influenced Picasso's "Guernica" due to their messages of martyrdom and suffering

Cubism and distorted figures to illustrate pain

Themes of violence, trauma, and suffering

Denunciation of the French government's corruption in a monarchic society

Aim at promoting national unity in Spain, either through resistance against the French occupation or by praising victims' resilience

Indifference of those perpetuating or witnessing violence (faceless soldiers and Argus passing by without helping the survivors)

Appraisal of victims and minorities

Commissioned artwork for the Republicans

Large scale paintings to insist on the importance of the message disseminated

Romanticism

Political and historical value as they hold a social and commemorative function

Influenced by other artists in terms of symbolism rather than techniques

Use of bitumen of Judea, which darkens over time, to create a somber mood

Received a mixed reception ("Raft of the Medusa" for its ideas propagated and "Guernica" for its use of Cubism)

Message of hope not present in the other works, which focus on distress

Influenced by Michelangelo's work

One large canva rather than severla small ones sewed together

Anti-colonist message through the use of a black figure to lead the boat: a black man to represent all of humanity and the "ideal" representation of martyrdom and abandonment

Challenge the aesthetic conventions at the time

Materials chosen with the aim of facilitating transport to raise money for Spain

No iconographic reference to Guernica

Comparison and connnection - Formal QUALITIES

Value to emphasize the division between the soldiers (in dark tones) and their victims (under the lantern's light)

The white shirt makes the central figure the focal point of the painting

Use of lines to assert Goya's political stance: straight lines dehumanize the French soldiers, whereas the curved lines of the civilians' contorted backs demonstrates their vulnerability, eliciting empathy from the viewer

Contrast of colours to create focal points.

Brushwork highlights the sense of urgency which Picasso was experiencing and reinforce the message's importance

Depth to insist on the scene's realism

No depth

Chiaroscuro creates a dramatic effect

Rule of thirds to create focal points

Detailed brushwork to portray emotions of fear and despair

Composition is used to take the viewer on an emotional journey: different emotions depending on where the viewer's gaze lies.

Muted tones and dull colours to emphasize death

Successive paint layers as part of the painting's composition

Implicit and explicit lines to guide the viewer's gaze according to a predetermined sequence of events

Atmospheric perspective to create depth

Blue undertones create a melancholic mood.

Monochromatic colour scheme to create a somber mood and portray the characters' despair

Change in texture used to create motion or

Pyramidal Composition to create stability and balance

Controlled brushwork to accurately portray the figures' facial expressions, draw emphasis on their muscles, and provide an accurate portrayal of the bodies' decomposition

Lack of color encourages the viewer to focus on the figures' symbolism