Art I Love: Guernica
Tuesday, September 5th, 2006
This is the first entry in what I hope will be a semi-frequent series of posts about paintings (and possibly artists) that I really love. Since Guernica by Pablo Picasso probably tops that list, it’s fitting that it should be the first I discuss.
I don’t remember when or where I first stumbled across this painting, but I think it was sometime in high school, quite possibly when I was going through my hippie stage. The painting is powerful even out of its context, but understanding the atrocities which inspired it certainly enhance it. (For a nice article on the history of the painting, check out Wikipedia.) It also helps to have an idea of the painting’s monumental size: 11.5′ tall by 26′ wide–aka, GIGANTIC.
Why do I love this painting? It’s certainly not “pretty” and it’s not as representational as I generally prefer, but I could stare at it for hours anyway. It’s complex, it’s compelling, it’s richly symbolic. Nearly everything about it, in my opinion, is perfect. The monochromatic color scheme complements the starkness of the imagery and also prevents the crowded canvas from looking busy or cluttered. The composition is held together by two strong diagonals which form a triangle in the center, with the lightbulb and the torch (nearly) at its apex (signifying, perhaps, the endurance of hope?). I love this painting because it’s a reminder of how well emotion and art can be synthesized. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but in the right hands, the brush can best them both.
No painting, of course, is as impressive in a book or on a computer screen as it is in person, but this one, especially, I feel like I must see in order to get the full sense of it. Its staggering size can only adds to its pull, which is why “see Guernica in person” (in the Museo del Prado in Madrid) is on my list of things to do before I die.
Picasso is not my favorite artist. I really enjoy some of his paintings, am indifferent to others, and flat-out hate a few, but even if I disliked everything else he ever did, I’d have to love and respect this one.
(Image from Olga’s Gallery.)
Bonus Link (themed, even!): Mr. Picasso Head–good for a little bit of cubist time-wasting. Enjoy.
