Guernica was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1937 as a response to the bombing of the town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. On April 26, 1937, the city was bombed by German and Italian aircraft in support of Francoist forces. The bombing was devastating and resulted in the massive destruction of the town and the loss of numerous civilian lives.
Deeply moved by the tragedy and as an artist committed to social and political issues, Picasso decided to convey his condemnation of violence and war through his art. Guernica became a masterpiece that expressed outrage and suffering in the face of the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War and, by extension, the broader threats of World War II.
The painting became an international symbol of the brutality of war and the struggle against oppression. Picasso sought to convey a universal message against violence and injustice through this masterpiece, which has become an icon of contemporary art and a powerful artistic expression of resistance to human tragedy.
