Why is this painting so shocking? - Iseult Gillespie
-
0:07 - 0:10On April 26th, 1937,
-
0:10 - 0:16Fascist forces bombed the Basque village
of Guernica in Northern Spain. -
0:16 - 0:19It was one of the worst civilian
casualties of the Spanish Civil War, -
0:19 - 0:25waged between the democratic republic and
General Franco’s fascist contingent. -
0:25 - 0:29For Pablo Picasso, the
tragedy sparked a frenzied period of work -
0:29 - 0:32in which he produced a
massive anti-war mural, -
0:32 - 0:34aptly titled "Guernica."
-
0:34 - 0:38The painting is a powerful work of
historical documentation -
0:38 - 0:41and political protest.
-
0:41 - 0:44But while Picasso’s artistic
motivations are clear, -
0:44 - 0:49the symbolism of the painting can be as
confusing and chaotic as war itself. -
0:49 - 0:52How can we make sense of this
overwhelming image, -
0:52 - 0:57and what exactly makes it a
masterpiece of anti-war art? -
0:57 - 1:02The painting’s monumental canvas is
disorienting from the start, -
1:02 - 1:07rendered in the abstracted Cubist style
Picasso pioneered. -
1:07 - 1:11Cubism deliberately emphasized the
two-dimensionality of the canvas -
1:11 - 1:13by flattening the objects being painted.
-
1:13 - 1:15This afforded viewers multiple
-
1:15 - 1:19and often impossible perspectives
on the same object; -
1:19 - 1:24a technique considered shocking
even in Picasso’s domestic scenes. -
1:24 - 1:25But in this context,
-
1:25 - 1:28the style offers a profoundly
overwhelming view -
1:28 - 1:32of violence, destruction, and casualties.
-
1:32 - 1:36Multiple perspectives only compound
the horror on display– -
1:36 - 1:41sending the eyes hurtling around the
frame in a futile hunt for peace. -
1:41 - 1:46On the far left, a woman holding her
dead child releases a scream; -
1:46 - 1:50her eyes sliding down her face
in the shape of tears -
1:50 - 1:55and her head bending back unnaturally
to echo her baby’s. -
1:55 - 1:58There is the statue of a soldier
present below, -
1:58 - 2:00but he is unable to defend
the woman and child. -
2:00 - 2:04Instead his broken body lies in pieces,
-
2:04 - 2:09his arm clutching a splintered sword
in a signal of utmost defeat. -
2:09 - 2:14The tip of his sword meets a woman’s foot
as she attempts to flee the devastation. -
2:14 - 2:17But her other leg appears
rooted to the spot, -
2:17 - 2:23locked in the corner of the canvas
even as she stretches to move it. -
2:23 - 2:26Another victim appears
behind this slouching figure. -
2:26 - 2:30Falling helplessly as flames
lick around her, -
2:30 - 2:34she too is caught in her
own hopeless scene. -
2:34 - 2:38Each of these figures bordering the
painting are horribly trapped, -
2:38 - 2:42giving the work an acute
sense of claustrophobia. -
2:42 - 2:47And where you might expect the canvas’
massive size to counteract this feeling, -
2:47 - 2:53its scale only highlights the nearly
life-sized atrocities on display. -
2:53 - 2:55Some possible relief comes from a lamp
-
2:55 - 2:59held tightly by a ghostly woman
reaching out her window. -
2:59 - 3:03But is her lantern’s hopeful glow
truly lighting the scene? -
3:03 - 3:05Or is it the jagged lightbulb–
-
3:05 - 3:08thought to represent the technologies
of modern warfare– -
3:08 - 3:11which illuminates her view of
the chaos below? -
3:11 - 3:14From the coffin-like confines
of her window, -
3:14 - 3:17her arm guides the viewer back
into the fray, -
3:17 - 3:20to perhaps the most controversial
symbols of all– -
3:20 - 3:24two ghostly animals caught
in the destruction. -
3:24 - 3:29Does the screaming horse embody the
threat of Franco’s military nationalism; -
3:29 - 3:34or does the spike running through
its body convey its victimhood? -
3:34 - 3:37Does the white bull represent Spain,
-
3:37 - 3:41the country of matadors and a common
theme in Picasso’s work– -
3:41 - 3:45or does it stand for the
brutality of war? -
3:45 - 3:50In this scene of strife, these animals
raise more questions than answers. -
3:50 - 3:53And additional elements hidden
throughout the frame -
3:53 - 3:57offer even more secrets for
close observers. -
3:57 - 4:02At the top of the canvas flashes a bird
desperate to escape the carnage. -
4:02 - 4:06And the abundance of animals on display
may hint at the bombing’s date– -
4:06 - 4:08a market day which flooded the streets
-
4:08 - 4:13with villagers, animals, and
other potential causalities. -
4:13 - 4:16Like the bombing of Guernica itself,
-
4:16 - 4:19Picasso’s painting is dense
with destruction. -
4:19 - 4:24But hidden beneath this supposed chaos,
are carefully crafted scenes and symbols, -
4:24 - 4:28carrying out the painting’s multifaceted
attack on fascism. -
4:28 - 4:30Decades after its creation,
-
4:30 - 4:35"Guernica" retains its power to shock
viewers and ignite debate, -
4:35 - 4:39and is often referenced at anti-war
gatherings around the world. -
4:39 - 4:45Hundreds of viewers have grappled with
its harsh imagery, shattering symbolism -
4:45 - 4:47and complex political messaging.
-
4:47 - 4:51But even without a close understanding
of it’s complicated subtext, -
4:51 - 4:58Picasso’s work remains a searing reminder
of the true casualties of violence.
- Title:
- Why is this painting so shocking? - Iseult Gillespie
- Speaker:
- Iseult Gillespie
- Description:
-
View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-this-painting-so-shocking-iseult-gillespie
In 1937, in one of the worst civilian casualties of the Spanish Civil War, Fascist forces bombed the village of Guernica in Northern Spain. For Pablo Picasso, the tragedy sparked a frenzied period of work in which he produced a massive anti-war mural, titled "Guernica." How can we make sense of this overwhelming image, and what makes it a masterpiece of anti-war art? Iseult Gillespie investigates.
Lesson by Iseult Gillespie, directed by Avi Ofer.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 05:04
lauren mcalpine edited English subtitles for Why is this painting so shocking? | ||
Elise Haadsma approved English subtitles for Why is this painting so shocking? | ||
Elise Haadsma accepted English subtitles for Why is this painting so shocking? | ||
lauren mcalpine edited English subtitles for Why is this painting so shocking? |