Reference no: EM131495848

In January 1937, Pablo Picasso accepted Spain's invitation to provide an artistic entry for the International Exposition in Paris. By then, Spain was already embroiled in civil war, and Hitler and Mussolini were allied with General Francisco Franco. On April 27, as Paris prepared for the exposition that amplified the theme Art and Technology in Modern Life, Hitler prepared his air force for aerial combat by bombing a quaint Spanish town -- Guernica. In less than a month from the fair's opening that would celebrate the world's latest innovative progress, more than three hours of target practice killed or injured approximately 1600 Spanish civilians. To this point in his career, Picasso resisted painting works for political persuasion, but this event was too caustic to disregard.

The fair opened on May 25, and the determined Picasso continued to work on his massive mural until it was finished in June. As the image came to life, viewers could see the artist's bold depiction of his personal reaction to the carnage and devastation of war. While the Aeronautic Pavilion commanded exhilarating ovation for its technological promise, Spain's entry painfully expressed a contrary consequence from the same engineering advancements. The distressing scene ignited public opinion. Either regurgitating utter distaste for war or being entirely misunderstood and dismissed, the abrasive illustration produced a percussive cacophony that continues to resonate around the world today. Guernica essentially acted as an intellectual counterweight to the fair's optimistic industrial display and proved that art and technology in modern life were equally represented at the event.

Today Guernica is commonly recognized as one of the world's most iconic anti-war paintings in history. Retrospectively, the aerospace achievements and the visual masterpiece showcased at the 1937 World Fair in Paris define humankind's ability to create to magnificent proportions â both positive and negative. Ultimately, the specific objective of the international event was successful in its mission to highlight the era's revolutionary ingenuity of enlightened minds.

In a short essay of no more than 500 words, please address each aspect of the following prompt:

 (1) After taking a moment to reflect on Picasso's Guernica (1937), explain how understanding the context of the piece and the intention behind the artist's work affects your perception of the painting's cultural influence. In your opinion, what impressions of war was Picasso seeking to convey to his audience?

(2) Guernica (1937) garnered little attention while on display during the World Fair in Paris but has since become an iconic symbol for the destruction of war on innocent lives. Do you think Picasso's assumed political message in Guernica (1937) has any relevance to more recent social, political, or economic events? Please explain your answer using at least one specific example.