The continuing advancement of the media has led to the dissemination of information about art. People across different cultures globally express divergent views about the messages propagated by different forms of art. In some instances, works of art are considered controversial because of their contributions to society's values. One form of art that has attracted controversy in the 20th century is Guernica . It is an oil painting done by a Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso. The painting measures 3.49 meters by 7.76 meters and is painted in black, grey, and white. Additionally, it portrays the suffering brought about by chaos and violence in times of war, including people and animals' suffering. It has been considered one of Picasso's most popular works of art, although it has also attracted criticism for its powerful war message.
Guernica is a controversial art because it was intentionally made for political purposes. It was used to inspire the propaganda being spread about the Fascists (Granell, 1981). In creating this piece of art, the artist did not consider its artistic performance; rather, he used the political subject to inspire how the painting should have been created.
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The aesthetic value of Guernica is achieved through its visual appeals and attractiveness to viewers. The painting indicates images that portray the effects of war on society. For instance, broken weapons reflect the defeat of the city. Additionally, the amputated arm indicated in the painting indicates a lost life. The arm is also holding a sword, which indicates the human condition of resilience even in times of suffering (Becraft, 2016). Moreover, the painting's aesthetic value is indicated by the monotone that uses black, white, and grey. In using the monotone, Picasso departed from his norm of using cubism. Such aesthetic value enables the viewer to perceive a black and white photograph that depicts the war's aftermath.
The painting has never been censored but has been regarded as a powerful work of art that contributes to the world's history. Governments are justified in censoring art because they control art's social value (Becraft, 2016). They can censor art that is not considered to be in line with the required social values and norms.
Guernica has been influential and made a social contribution in different ways. It acts as a masterpiece to portray the negative impacts of war through the recreation of a real historical event. It depicts the negative effects that the bombing of the civilian population caused. The work of art has also acted as a memorial for the victims of the bombing (Granell, 1981). The painting was large scale so that it makes a statement to the affected people while acting as a remembrance for future generations to perceive the suffering that the innocent people underwent in Guernica.
However, this work of art should not be considered art. It was intentionally made for political reasons rather than artistic ones. The painting's main subject was the violence propagated against the civilians in the society by the Fascist government that was an ally to the Nazis. The first instance was when modern weapons were intentionally used on civilians (Becraft, 2016). The painting had been specifically made as a way of condemning the war, as well as Fascism. It was aimed at provoking the Fascists, which made it act as an item of propaganda. As such, were it not for the war, the painting would not have been made. It does not represent an artistic representation because it is politically inspired. Furthermore, the painter used a political subject even if the fair where the painting was to be displayed had the theme of modern technology.
References
Becraft, M. (2016). Picasso's Guernica - Images within Images, Third Edition. Lulu.com.
Granell, E. (1981). Picasso’s Guernica: The End of a Spanish Era. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research.
