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Guernica - reality and representation
Created by shapesoftime on September 18, 2009, 12:17 pm. Report this group | FAQ
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Picasso's 'Guernica' has been a 'gift' and a 'challenge' for cartoonists since its first appearance in 1937. From David Low's first un-Picasso influenced reactions - perhaps based on newspaper photographs and news film and reminiscent of 'ruins' iconography after the First World War - to the bombing in 1937 to a Michael Heath cartoon, "Serbinica", of 1993. The archive also has examples of how Picasso's imagery became synomomous during the post second world war period and his 'Guernica' mural become an iconic image.
More information about the bombing of Guernica, the reporting of the event, Picasso's 'Guernica' and how the image has been used ever since as the visual tool of protest: see http://www.shapesoftime.net/pages/viewpage.asp?uniqid=12397
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An overview of all records in the group with annotations (where entered).
Showing records 1 to 7 of 7.
Picasso's 'style', and the icongraphy he created, were so identifiable that they were often used as shorthand by cartoonists to represent 'modern art' and re-present political and social situations. Here a number of 'characters' from the Guernica period including the bull and the dead soldier from the mural and the 'Weeping Woman' are shown in Paul Rigby's 1971 cartoon to celebrate Picasso's ninetieth birthday.
The situation is Belfast represented through George Gale' s dark version of Picasso's mural. A copy of Picasso's mural was created on Belfast's Peace Wall by community artists Danny Devenny and Mark Ervine. For more information see http://www.shapesoftime.net/pages/viewpage.asp?uniqid=12397
Picasso's 'Guernica' has been used as a way of highlighting the nature of war and conflict when civilian populations have been involved, particularly by bombing and airstrikes. Here Michael Heath uses an outrageous pun to great effect - allowing the cartoon to live off the page as an aural image.
"What's all the fuss about, Herr Doktor? I'm a Christian Democrat, too!"
Vicky [Victor Weisz]
Evening Standard
The bombing of Guernica continued to haunt Franco throughout the period of his regime: 1938 - 1977.
"You've got to admit I'm bringing peace to the poor suffering Basques."
Low; David (1891-1963)
Evening Standard
Low's 1937 cartoon - published about 2 months after the event - and well before Picasso's image was well known probably draws on newspaper photographs of the ruined towned which were published widely within a few days of the event and the first text only reports of George Steer, et al.
Newspaper reports from all sections of the press in the UK, Europe, USA and the wider world, of the bombing of Guernica were widely circulated and a propaganda war bewteen the Basques and Spanish Republicans and Franco and his supporters was in full swing within hours. b[David Low's cartoon], drawn a few days after the event, satarises the propaganda claims by the 'Nationalists' that destruction of Guernica had been perpetrated by the Basque people on themselves.
