"Art is the elimination of the unnecessary"-- Picasso
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| "Cat Catching a Bird," 1939, Pablo Picasso. |
In 1939, the Spanish Civil War was turning beautiful urban areas of Spain to rubble. The Spanish Fascists, who were seeking to overthrow the elected democratic government, enlisted the support of Nazi Germany. German military forces enthusiastically employed their weapons in attacks on Spanish cities where inhabitants opposed the Fascists. The British, French, Soviets, and Americans adopted a policy of "nonintervention," and embargoed weapons shipments to Spain.
Pablo Picasso -- a Spaniard who lived and worked in Paris -- reacted to the fate of his countrymen by creating dark and foreboding works of art, like this cat preying on a bird. His memorable work "Guernica" two years earlier had commemorated a terrible bombing of the Basque city of Guernica by Nazi war planes, causing the destruction of much of the town and large number of casualties. Picasso's imagery is unforgettable, and remains familiar as a symbol of the horrors of war.
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| "Guernica," 1937, Picasso. |
The Spanish Civil War lasted from 1936 until 1939, and resulted in the overthrow of the legitimate government and the institution of a Fascist government — a regime that lasted until the 1970s. This tragic war has been on my mind because of the frightening parallels between Nazi and Fascist attacks on Spanish civilians and the current brutal attacks of the Russian army against the civilians and civilian property throughout Ukraine and because of the Russian goal of overthrowing a legitimate government.
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| Picasso, "Dove," 1949. Image used as the symbol of the 1949 Paris Peace Conference. |
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| "Dove of Peace" |
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| "Dove" |
Picasso, who had been apolitical before the Spanish Civil War, became an advocate for peace, and after World War II, he created a number of images of doves of peace that were used by pro-peace organizations. Throughout the post-war era, the greatest fear was of a nuclear war between the great powers: the United States and the Soviet Union. Can these symbols of peace still bring us hope?
History now views the Spanish Civil War, with its use of modern weaponry against civilians, as a prelude to World War II. As in the 1930s, now in 2022 we don't know what will come next after the war in Ukraine. We fear the worst. We hope it won't happen.
Blog post © 2022 mae sander.
Images from https://www.pablopicasso.org/
Idea about Picasso from Deb at Readerbuzz.
Hmmm.... who knows. History has a habit of repeating itself. People never learn.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I like Picasso's Dove. I have high hopes for peace, but I fear the worst for Ukraine . Russia is evil, just as much as Hitler's Germany. I fear for our own's country's Democracy now. Take care, enjoy your day and happy weekend!
Fabulous post of history and Picasso. There is always something behind art no matter the artists, no matter how big or small. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about the Spanish Civil War except some very basic info like Franco taking over the country, and I did not know that Nazi bombed there even before World War 2 started. That does sound a lot like what is happening in Ukraine. It is sad and scary. I did enjoy seeing the Picasso pieces though. He really could say a lot with just a few lines on a page. Happy weekend. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteWe just don't know.
ReplyDeleteGuernica has always impressed me.
ReplyDeleteThere just seems no end to the War in Ukraine!
ReplyDeleteHello Mae,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your critters and art work today. I have to say I love the peace dove more than the Cat catching a bird. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, enjoy your weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.
Picasso's doves have always been my favorites of his -- simple, realistic, elegant line. I never knew how he happened to move into that mode. Thanks for a fascinating story. And yes, the parallels to WWII are extremely frightening.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post Mae. Of course the famous writer British author George Orwell (Eric Blair) fought in Spain against the Fascists and it was during this time that he developed his anti-authoritarian beliefs and later wrote his most famous and predictive novels 1984 and Animal Farm.
ReplyDeleteThe art is really interesting. I love the last few the best...simple and elegant!
ReplyDeleteNice art and it leaves us with lots to think about. There is always a war going on somewhere in the world. Very sad!
ReplyDeleteIt's sad but so true, we don't know what will happen. We need to prepare for the worst and hope and pray for the best.
ReplyDeleteThought-provoking post. Thanks for sharing. I sure hope we can find peace in the world again.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing the Peace Dove in a Picasso museum in Barcelona and being touched by it then. We can only hope that peace is given a chance now.
ReplyDeleteSad how little we seem to learn from history, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThere will always be war somewhere, people never learn from their mistakes.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Irma
i could imagine myself creating dark art. As it is, this week I noticed a lot more street art and took some pics, it's a little harder to do when you're at the spotlight with unsuspecting strangers.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, thanks! I remember commenting Guernica's painting in my Spanish class in the mid 70s, it was fun trying to find words in Spanish to speak about it. I had an awesome teacher
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've read about the Spanish Civil War, I am glad Biden is NOT sending troops to Ukraine. Interference with outside forces who sent troops proved to make it one of the bloodiest wars I have ever read about. Seeing Guernica reminds me of what some have described of the bodies of the children of Uvalde. Very poignant and well done, Mae.
ReplyDeleteA thought provoking post. Art is always a nice way to start a weekend morning, but the sobering thoughts of war are a way to keep us grounded. We need to keep the troubles of the world in our mind but keep them alongside art and music and things that bring joy as well.
ReplyDeleteOh Mae, this was a beautiful and touching post. Thank you. We don't know, no. But we can pray for peace.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful and peaceful week.
Elza Reads