Research 1

This is my first set of notes for the information on Guernica, I will put the rest up later.

Picasso’s Guernica : History, transformations, meanings. Herschel B. Chipp, 1989, Thames and Hudson ltd, London

· ‘In the nightmare of the dark,

All the dogs of Europe bark,

And the living nations wait,

Each sequested in its hate.’

- W. H. Auden

· Early January 1937 Josep Lluis Sert contactes Picasso, shortly after he, Max Aub (culture counsellor of the spannish embasy), Juan Larrea (poet and embassies director public information), Luis Lacasa (architect) and other men arrived at Picasso’s to ask him to ‘participate in a project of great symbolic significance for the Spanish republic.’ (pg 3)

· Luis Araquistain was planning a pavilion for the Paris world’s fair to show 1) the Spanish republic still existed, 2) that they legally represented the country and not Franco’s military regime. (pg3)

· It was to late to start planning, only 4 months left and no plans for the pavilion. (pg 4)

· They asked Picasso to do a large mural of his own chosen subject. (pg 4)

· Picasso hesitated – the project was obviously political propaganda for the republic. And other reasons. (pg 4)

· In his youth in Barcelona he had several sheets of drawings of war. ‘Devine Allegory’ 1895, ‘Boes’ 1900, ‘End of the road’ 1898.

·

http://www.barcelona-budget.net/Pablo-Picasso-The-End-of-the-Road-1898-99_jpg.html (28/02/2011, 10:33)

• ‘End of the road ‘depict a scene from the contemporary play about the return to Spain of defeated soldiers and colonists during the Spanish American war.’ (pg 4)

· During the Spanish civil war Picasso gets reports from his mother of the terror in Barcelona and there are constant reports of fighting and bombing. (pg 6)

· Picasso is careful not to take a stand on this even though many of his friends and fellow artists do in their work from poets to painters.

· Gertrude Steins is quoted to have said ‘Picasso was less concerned with the events themselves than with their having happened in Spain.’ (pg 6)

· He carried on painting Dora Maar.

· ‘When he was once asked about his politics he answered that he was a royalist because Spain was a monarchy and that he would be a republican if Spain were a republic.’ (pg 6)

· He would answer questions evasive or maliciously misleading but in fact they were impudent replies to probing questions – he refused to be cornered into agreeing with others ideas. (pg 6)

· September 1936 he was appointed honorary director of the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Which made him very proud. (pg 7)

· The Museo del prado was shelled in November by troops trying to enter the city.

· 8 and 9 January 1937 he wrote the poem ‘Dream and Lie of Franco (sueno y mentira de franco) (pg11)

· In the panels that went with the poem he portrays Franco in caricature giving him many forms that represent manifestations of evil (pd 12-13)

· Picasso is still torn between the concern for his compatriots who were suffering and his antipathy towards political dogmas. (pg17)

· He was unable to donate a painting that he had already done.

· News reaches Paris 27 April, the evening after the attack on Guernica.

· 5 days latter (Saturday 1^st may) there is a demonstration in Paris over the destruction of Guernica, outrage at the bombing and appeals for aid for the victims. (pg43)