Topic > Meaning and Symbolism in Guernica by Pablo Picasso

The central lighting on the painting Guernica by Pablo Picasso, surrounded by the darkest background and figures with the darkest gray values ​​surrounding the edge of the painting. With this choice of layout and coloring you get greater attention to the scene. The viewer's eye is drawn to the bulb and the shape of the lamp. Which appears to be an image similar to that of an “Eye of God”, shedding light on the horror of the world. The bulb itself being the pupil of the "Eye of God", this light shining on the wounded horse could symbolize the impact on the country's defensive forces. The degree to which the emotions on the figure and animals display captivating agony that draws the viewer in. Furthermore, the triangular arrangement established by the dead man lying on the left and the directionality of the arm of the female figure on the right frame the edges of the triangles. These triangular figures and the edges of the shapes refer to the figure of Harlequin who in the story is associated with death and the reinterpretation of the Devil in the story, so for the purpose Picasso used symbolism related to this, the five diamond shapes as a reaffirmation of death and destruction of life displayed in Guernica. This may be Picasso's way of saying that the hand of the Devil played a role in the pain and agony raining down on the faces of those affected by the bombings in Spain. The first diamond can be seen on the right side of the painting. Slightly to the side, the highest point can be identified at the top of the painting with the sides running directly down the painting, following the ground, established by the arm and foot lying at the base of the work, while the black vertical line completes the first of the harlequin symbol....... in the center of the card...... it could represent the defeat of this Spanish country by the horse, symbol of Germany and the Italians who bombed the country on the orders of the Spanish nationalists. The person under the horse appears to be a decapitated head and the flower symbolizes the last elements of nature, the only beauty to survive. This symbol reminds me of Bernie Boston's photograph, Flower Girl, which depicts a man placing a flower in a soldier's gun during an anti-war protest. Perhaps this flower symbolizes something along the lines of a declaration against the act of war. Moreover, this action seemed to be considered useless, since it is in the hands of the deceased. This same hand also has another shape: you can see that of the broken sword, a possible symbol of the country's defeat, and the failure of the anti-war symbol he also holds in his defeated hands..