Women and Children in War: Guernica (Pablo Picasso, 1937)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Guernica (Pablo Picasso, 1937)

Pablo Picasso is one of the most well-known artists of the twentieth century. His most famous work, Guernica, is a reflection of the Spanish Civil War, when the German Nazi forces bombed the city of Guernica. During the Spanish Civil War, when the Republican forces fought against the Fascist forces lead by Francisco Franco, Picasso's colleagues and representatives of the government asked Picasso to produce a painting for the Spanish Pavilion of the 1937 World's Fair. Although Picasso was troubled by Franco and sympathized with the new democratic government, he did not respond to their offer, because he did not want to associate politics with art. However, the German bombing of Guernica totally changed Picasso's mind. With the help of Franco, German Nazi forces used Guernica as a testing ground for their newly developed weapons; more than 1,600 civilians. Picasso was stunned when he saw the photographs of the town in the news; he immediately painted Guernica. Through the painting, Picasso expressed his discontent with the existing political conflicts, his desire for peace, and his anti-war message to the rest of the world (“Guernica: Testimony of War”).

In Guernica, Picasso directed his focus towards women and children. He wanted to show how immoral the German Nazis and Franco were for aiming the bombs at innocent civilians. On the far left of the painting, a mother is holding the limp corpse of her child. She is wailing with her head thrown back, and her eyes are looking upward; perhaps she is asking God why the circumstances of her life are so miserable. The woman on the far right is also looking up. Her hands are reaching up as if she is pulled down by some force. There are many triangles around and above her, perhaps those represent fire created by the German bombs; the fire is devouring the woman. Picasso also put many hidden meanings in Guernica. The gazing bull and the suffering horse are two of the most famous features in the painting, because they lead to many contrasting interpretations. Some viewers say that they represent the fighting parties, the Republicans and the Fascists; some believe they stand for the struggle between males and females; and others think that they are both victims of the bombing. Picasso himself never defined the meaning of the bull and the horse, because he wanted the viewers to interpret the two symbols by themselves. By allowing independent interpretation and analysis, Picasso is encouraging the viewers to reconsider the purpose of war and question the necessity of destruction.

"Guernica: Testimony of War." PBS. 28 April 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/guernica/gmain.html>.

“Guernica: Questions of Meaning.” PBS. 10 May 2011. < http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/guernica_nav/gnav_level_1/5meaning_guerfrm.html>.

Pablo Picasso. 28 April 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/guernica/gmain.html>.

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Introduction

Men generally get all the attention in wars, because they are usually the brave ones fighting on the battlefields; women and children are generally neglected, because they are seen as “weak” and in need of “protection.” However, many overlook the struggles and dangers the women and children face when the men are away. Women who are left behind not only have to worry about the safety of their husbands, but also have to protect the lives of their children and themselves, since they are often the victims of war; and children usually deal with the disadvantage of growing up without a father to protect and advise them. This blog will reveal a new side of war by focusing on the emotions of the women and children in time of war.

Link to Ariana's Blog

Ariana’s Femininity in Propaganda is another blog that focuses on the role of women during wars. In Ariana’s blog, she included five propagandas that concentrate on the female gender. The first propaganda, “Rosie the Riveter”, shows how the role of women in war changed. Before, women’s job was only to take care of the family while the men were away; but now, women can join the army and fight side-by-side with the men. The second photograph, "Miliciana de Waswalito", also shows how women can take on many different responsibilities. Women can now fight for their country and nurture their children; they were not the “weak” anymore.

In contrast, the next three propagandas are all encouraging men to enroll, so they can protect their women and children. The painters of “Enlist”, “Destroy This Mad Brute—Enlist”, and “Keep these hands off”, are suggesting that women and children are frail and pathetic and that they should just stay under the protective wings of their men. Although she narrowed her focus on women in war propagandas, the overall theme of Ariana’s blog is intently connected to that of this blog.

Link to Chloe's Blog

Many art pieces in Chloe’s blog, Time to Say Goodbye, are directly related to the theme women and children in war. In particular, the painting “Woman with Dead Child” has a very similar connotation to “The Mothers”. Kathe Kollwitz, the creator of both pieces, used her own heart-breaking experience to express the grief and mourning of a mother who has lost her child. The mother in the painting represents all the women who have lost their family members because of war; Kathe Kollwitz wanted the world to notice how miserable the women felt after their men left to go to war.

The photo “V-J Day in Times Square”, like “Burst of Joy”, shows how happy and relieved the people were, after the end of the war. Using Chloe’s words, the embrace “represents saying goodbye to isolation, death, and fear. While many families would never be united again, most people celebrated the return of the soldiers, because they saw the opportunity to finally start a new chapter of their lives. Even though the overall theme of Time to Say Goodbye is not closely connected to that of this blog, many art pieces in her blog are parallel to the theme of women and children in war.