Guernica

Picasso had no inspiration. Although he wanted to be working for the Muses´ visit, he did not make progress. The artist had a job commissioned by the Government of the Second Republic to exhibit at the International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life, in Paris, 1937.

«A 26 de abril, às 16.40, a aldeia vasca de Guernica, a 30 quilómetros de Bilbau, foi bombardeada pela força Aérea alemã. Uma população indefensa e teóricamente à margem do conflito bélico espanhol. Foi a primeira cidade destruída desde o ar.»

BELÉN RODRIGO, Diário de Notícias, Quarta-feira_26 de abril de 2017, pp.30-31.

Unexpectedly a little city near Bilbao is razed to the ground. Nothing, no one escapes from the tragedy: buildings, animals, men, women, children… All is in flames.

Picasso has his motif.

Picasso makes a colossal painting —more than 27 square meters. A modern graffiti in grey nuances —the mourning colors— and in a conceptual way. He could have stained with red colour the work, which it would have been more impressive, but he did not it.

According to recent studies, Guernica was attacked in three phases. In the first place, the Condor Legion fired with its machine guns big bullets; a second time they used usual bombs and they rounded off the action with incendiary bombs which exploded inside the houses and burning all.

These studies explain that Guernica was an “experiment”. This experiment was made by fascists, nevertheless, some neutral countries made a profit. One of them was mine. Afterwards, some years later, they improved their investigations in Hiroshima.

A lamp lights the scene. It shows us the injustice and it become in a reminder against all wars. Picasso did not want to explain its sense, though. Each person should think about it. My thoughts exactly.

When the Guernica arrived to Spain the democracy in that country was still green and the painting had to be protected and watched over by armed sentry.

In order to make new relationships with Europe and the USA, the dictator said he had not order that carnage —pull the other one!—; even he banned to speak about the matter. But, currently, there are some proofs, some reports —bomb-proof— that they say the contrary. The sonuvabitch little soldier ordered it.

Eighty years ago the Death fell over Guernica. Today the Death is falling over Aleppo, Daraa, Achin…

From my Borstal.

LDR