About
Pablo Picasso's Guernica (1937) was painted in response to the Nazi bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War — one of the first uses of air power against a civilian population. In bold black, white, and grey, the 7.7-meter wide canvas depicts screaming figures, dismembered bodies, and an anguished horse in a vision of modern warfare's horror.
Picasso refused to allow the painting to return to Spain while Franco ruled. It lived in New York's MoMA for 42 years, becoming a symbol of anti-fascism and the suffering of civilians in war. A tapestry copy hangs outside the UN Security Council chamber. When a US official spoke near it to justify the 2003 Iraq invasion, the tapestry was covered with a blue cloth.
# Top 10 Picasso Guernica facts
- 1Picasso refused to let Guernica return to Spain until democracy was restored — it did so in 1981
- 2A tapestry copy hangs at the UN Security Council — it was covered with a blue cloth during the Iraq War press conference
- 3Guernica was painted in just 5 weeks using only black, white, and grey
Fascinating Facts
- ◆Picasso refused to let Guernica return to Spain until democracy was restored — it did so in 1981
- ◆A tapestry copy hangs at the UN Security Council — it was covered with a blue cloth during the Iraq War press conference
- ◆Guernica was painted in just 5 weeks using only black, white, and grey
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