One of the most iconic pieces of Art of the 20th century: Guernica

It could be its piled elements, or the expression of its uttering open mouths and wide eyes, expressions that cannot be mistaken for anything but pain: a war zone.

Since WWII there was not a single day of peace in this world, which photographs and paintings have registered, over the years, the horrors of conflict areas.

Representing a full century of conflicts and loaded with strong meaning, Pablo Picasso’s powerful artwork is displayed in Madrid at the Museo Reina Sofia and has remained a timeless statement of the conflicts shadowing our global community.

Painting is not made to decorate apartments. It is an offensive and defensive instrument of war against the enemy- Pablo Picasso, 1945

Rumours say that a Nazi German officer asked Picasso about Guernica: “Did you do that?” – “No” Picasso replied, “You did it”.

As Picasso himself said, a painting is not only a decorative object, but a powerful tool to conquer the spirit and hearts. With it in mind, we explore below some aspects hidden between layers of colours, lines and brushes.

Since 1992, the Reína Sofia Museum had a photo ban on Guernica, which was recently lifted in September 2023, allowing visitors now to take photos of and with the painting.

Where did this happen?

Town of Guernica – Also written as Gernika, its Basque name, is located in the northern part of Spain in the province of Biscay, an Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, bordering the Pyrenees.

Spain is also bordered by the Bay of Biscay, France, Andorra, Portugal, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, and Gibraltar.

Twin-cities of Guernica include Berga – Catalonia, Pforzheim – Germany and Boise, Idaho – USA. Together they cooperate in the fields of Culture, Education and Industry as part of the “Symbol for Peace” movement.

History tells why Guernica was bombarded

The bombings that lasted for almost 4 hours on April 26th, 1937 carried out by the Germans were part of the Nazi support to General Francisco Franco and its nationalists troops during the Spanish Civil War, between July 17, 1936 and April 1, 1939.

Because of its cultural importance to the Basque region and its opposition to the nationalists of Franco, the town was chosen to represent a message of mass destruction and war tactics, allowing the soldiers of Hitler to test their military strengths and practice conflict techniques.

The Culture of Peace

Before the bombings Guernica represented democracy, freedom and other values alike to the Basque community. With the tragic event of the war, its symbolism grew stronger to include the principles of peace and human rights.

The Gernika Peace Museum Foundation – https://www.museodelapaz.eus/en/ – embodies the culture of peace and pacifism, links the culture of peace to the history of the town and promotes dialogues to all audiences about the meaning of peace nowadays, international conflicts and similar projects in the field.