Analysis Of Painting "Guernica" By Picasso And The "Third Of May" By Goya

811 words - 3 pages

Picasso's "Guernica" (1937) and Goya's "The Third of May" (1814) are paintings that are created to communicate an issue of concern of the artist. In order to truly understand the impact that these paintings have on people, and why that impact is so strong, a person must analyse the content of them.The first reaction of the "Guernica" by Picasso is one of mayhem, destruction, lost souls and death. The entire painting is dark with cool colours and no sign of warmth. There are scattered distorted figures not exactly looking like humans but many figures taking the human form with faces in obvious confusion. The piece is representational and has asymmetrical balance. The visual elements are used very efficiently in respect to lines and colour. The curvature contrasted along with the use of jagged lines helps create the chaotic feeling produced even in the midst of such cool and warm colours. There is a lot of overlapping figures and not much space between any, but the shading around helps create the feeling of space. There are implied lines within the shading. The artist likely used a limited palette for this painting. The positive shapes are the lightest of the painting and the negative shapes are the darkest and sometimes even empty shapes.The use of curvature and lines helps create unity. The point of emphasis is established by using lighter shades in the midst of very dark colours. The focal point is likely the bull like figure in the top left because everything is pointed there and all the faces are looking at it.I believe the main theme of this piece is to show the devastation that can be caused by chaotic or tragic events and how they can affect more than just a few individuals. Picasso created this work to the German bombing of Guernica. He believes the world is beginning into a very violent stage and knew there would be great devastation. Picasso himself said that the meanings of his paintings are to be held within the viewer. Although Picasso had many talents, his painting was his forte so to say. He dominated the painting world and knew his ideas would be more available and impacting as a whole creating a much more effective message.Through the artwork "The Third of May", Goya painted an event that took place on the second and third of May 1808, when the citizens of Madrid rose up against the French invaders and received on the following day a swift and barbarous retribution. On the left...

Find Another Essay On Analysis of painting "Guernica" by Picasso and The "Third of May" by Goya

Goya and the Power of Violence

1425 words - 6 pages 1: Image Title: What Valor! by Francisco de Goya2: Caption:Francisco de Goya was a prominent Spanish painter during the 1807-1814 Peninsular War between Spain and Napoleonic France. There was significant social and political upheaval during this time in addition to the pugnacious war. The dehumanizing effect of extreme violence is captured in Goya's series of etchings titled Los Desastres de la Guerra. While many of the etchings polarize their


820 words - 3 pages This abstract painting, Starry Night, by Edvard Munch represents a Norwegian landscape in which the style he paints it in expresses his feelings and we can see them through the use of various elements. The foreground which is defined by the rhythmic shoreline, includes a white fence set diagonally entrapping clumps of bushes and trees on which we can also see the shadow of two lovers embracing each other in the dark. The sky is filled with

The Life and Art of Pablo Picasso

640 words - 3 pages in Cubist modes. From 1929 to 1931, he pioneered wrought iron sculpture with his old friend Julio Gonzalez. In the early 1930's, Picasso did a large quantity of graphic illustrations. In late April of 1937, the world learned the shocking news of the saturation bombing of the civilian target of Guernica, Spain by the Nazi Luftwaffe. Picasso responded with his great anti-war painting, "Guernica." During World War II, Picasso lived in Paris, where he


974 words - 4 pages conversation where the camera is mainlylooking over either one of the twos shoulders. The atmosphere here again isslightly tense and both characters seem somewhat awkward with each other.Norman then takes Marian to her room and shows her around, particularattention is drawn to the bathroom by the fact that Norman does not want toseem to say the actual word 'bathroom', and also the fact that the cameraonly shows us a glimpse of the inside of the room, this

The Life and Styles of Pablo Picasso

3391 words - 14 pages his elders with his astounding artistic abilities; and, as Rachel Barnes points out in her introduction to Picasso by Picasso: Artists by Themselves, there seemed to be no doubt that Picasso would become a painter. In order to better hone his prodigious abilities, Picasso attended the Academy in Barcelona for a brief period of time. He spent most of his early years painting in Paris, where he progressed through various periods - including a


1021 words - 4 pages monoscenic narrative painting is synchronic, and how we are able to retrieve different experiences all at once. Géricault: Raft of the Medusa; the finished picture. ( Paris, Louvre. Archives photographiques) Composition is how an artist organizes the subject, by deciding what to leave in and what should be left out determines the effectiveness of how a painting communicates. The big scale of the painting is the first noticeable trait of the painting

“The Martyrdom of St. Matthew” - Painting Analysis

949 words - 4 pages behind the man laying on the bottom step. Finally, I am drawn to the two figures that would be behind the executioner, if he were standing upright and straight. Then I start all over again. The facial expressions and gestures are representative of the baroque painting style. Caravaggio illustrates perfectly, the intensity on the executioner’s face looks very determined to slay St. Matthew. Caravaggio then illustrates the executioner’s strength by

Review of "The Union, the Confederacy, and the Atlantic Rim" by Robert E. May

2043 words - 8 pages Howard Jones, R.J.M. Blackett, Thomas Schoonover, and James McPherson, who offered some critical analysis, with cause and effect why Britain and France did not intervene. May presented some outstanding deliberation on the impact of a single product on Europe. He stresses the ineptness of the Confederacy to comprehend the European mind set, and that “King Cotton” did not have the leverage its leaders thought it did. The south’s eagerness to secede




2669 words - 11 pages van der Neers 'Winter Landscape at Sunset'? A detailed analysis of the painting has established that this painting is one of a series of paintings by the artist that explores his desire to capture the landscape of his own world in a time of change and relative prosperity. The image is probably a combination of several scenes drawn in order to present an impression of the pleasures of the Dutch winter and the possible activities thereof. Van der

Censorship of David Wojnarowicz, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Francisco Goya

1731 words - 7 pages The Censorship of David Wojnarowicz, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Francisco Goya Censorship is usually considered “official” censorship because it is action taken by governmental institutions such as government committees, or universities, to limit the view of a specific artwork or a group of works by the public. However, these concrete official actions taken to limit public view of specific artwork are only the results of the abstract

Similar Essays

Explains And Explores The Very Powerful Painting: Guernica By Pablo Picasso.

953 words - 4 pages Throughout time, there have been many famous works of art in painting, sculpture, and architecture. The painting Guernica, which was created in 1937 by Pablo Picasso, is still considered today to be one of the most famous works of art throughout the twentieth century.Pablo Picasso is well known for colorful abstract paintings. His unique talent of creating a painting that may not look like real life, but has a deeper meaning, has been copied by

Francisco De Goya's Painting, The Third Of May

1521 words - 6 pages Francisco de Goya's Painting, The Third of May Goya's painting has historical significance, as well as a social message that he wanted to send to generations to come. The painting The Third of May, by Francisco de Goya, was done in 1814 to commemorate the events of that took place during the Napoleonic Wars in Madrid, Spain on May 2 and 3 1808. The painting sets the scene of a man about to be killed by a firing squad. The bodies of

Guernica By Pablo Picasso Essay

1027 words - 4 pages inspiration for the mural, distracted by his sullen mood and dissatisfaction of his work, he continued to put it off. This came to an end on April 28, 1937. In less than two months, Picasso had created Guernica, modern arts most powerful antiwar statement.To fully appreciate the intensity and power of Guernica, it is imperative to understand the story that precedes it. The attack on Guernica was planned on a Monday, market day in the village; most of the

Comparative Analysis Of "Les Demoiselles D'avignon" By Picasso And "The Dance" By Matisse

1199 words - 5 pages Comparative Analysis of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and The DanceThe Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907, Museum of Modern Art, New York), is an oil on canvas painting by Pablo Picasso. This is an image of five nudes grouped around a still life. Of the five figures, four of the figures are facing the viewer. There is a disjunction in the fifth figure as she is crouched on the floor, her back away from the viewer, while her face, or mask, addresses the